Making Waves
by Brigid the Fae
Summary: Kagome's school days sucked. Being the odd one out of the group wasn't something to take pride in, especially when you were mocked for it. All she wants is a friend who has her back. What she gets is chance encounter with someone she never really believed existed. InuKag. Slowburn fic. Rating may change (who knows).
1. Chapter 1

"Chubby Bunny! Chubby Bunny!"

"You need to eat more carrots, Chubby Bunny!"

The taunts from the other children echoed in the little girl's ears as she ran the rest of the way home. Her closest friends had all gone in the opposite direction, leaving her to endure the comments of the straggling children that lived nearby. It wasn't far now; she could see the driveway getting closer as their voices drifted off.

'_Of course they would,'_ she thought bitterly. _'If their moms and dads knew of what they told me, they'd be in for it!'_

She kicked off her shoes as she entered the house, dropping her bookbag off her shoulder and letting it drag behind her as she walked to the kitchen. As routine, her mother was setting out an after-school snack to enjoy as completed her homework. "Did you have a good day at school, Kagome?"

Kagome shrugged, letting the bookbag rest against her chair as she sat down. The plate before her was an assortment of fruits with a little cup of caramel for a pinch of sweet. She loved dipping her apple slices in caramel but today it only made her frown. "School was fine, Mama," she started, debating on what all she wanted to acknowledge.

Mama seemed to pick up on her daughter's upset. "Did the other kids say something mean to you?" when the little girl nodded slowly, she had to quell the upset she felt herself. "Kids…sometimes they say things they don't mean…"

"They called me 'Chubby Bunny' Mama."

She bit her lip to keep from responding immediately. They'd had this discussion many times since Kagome had started school. On her own, Kagome looked fine. It wasn't until she began school and being around so many other kids her age that it was apparent that Kagome was larger than the others. Not overly so, but enough to make it obvious that she was different. That first year had been painful. Nearly each day her little girl would come home in tears because of the hurtful words. As any good mother would do, she brought the teasing up during a parent-teacher conference. It had been effective during the school day, but once they were out of hearing of the teachers… Mama had even confronted the parents of a few children she had witnessed taunting Kagome, but not much could be done unless the parents saw their child commit the act. Since they were sneaky about it, they continued to get away with it.

"I want you to listen to me, Kagome," Mama took her hands and held tight, drawing her to gaze up. "You are a beautiful little lady. Do not let the things your classmates tell you make you think otherwise. People are born to be different. That's what makes the world a wonderful place. If we all looked the same, we'd be boring."

Kagome nodded, having heard this pep talk multiple times before. "But if I'm not fat, how come they call me names?"

"Some children like to point out differences to make themselves feel better. It's not right, and one day they will learn that when they are the ones being called out. You are not fat, Kagome. You just have more baby weight in places than your classmates do. As you get older it will go away." Mama reached up to smooth back a few stray hairs from her little girl's face. "One day they will see you for the beautiful soul you are."

Kagome's nose wrinkled. "I doubt it."

"Then perhaps someone new will come along and show you," a new voice entered the kitchen. Both turned to see a man standing in the doorway, shrugging out of his uniform jacket.

"Welcome home dear," Mama smiled. "How was your day?"

The man shrugged, not unlike Kagome had earlier, and dropped into the seat opposite his wife. "A bit dull, but I expect when the tourism picks up we'll be working later hours." He turned to Kagome and asked, "Were those kids messing with you again?"

"Yes, Papa."

"And what did I say to do when that happens?"

"Punch them in the neck?"

"Daisuke!"

"What?" Daisuke looked at his wife. "You're going to tell me that you wouldn't have our daughter defend herself, Michiru?"

Kagome watched her parents quietly, reaching out for an apple slice and dunking it in the caramel sauce without realizing it.

Michiru scrambled to come up with a response. "If it came to it, I would hope that Kagome would defend herself – if one of those kids happened to strike first. Anything else would wrong."

"It's okay Mama," the girl said after swallowing her apple slice. "Papa told me only to do that if they tried to hurt me with more than words first."

"See now, no harm done."

Daisuke looked smug as Michiru rolled her eyes and stood up. Dinner needed to be started, and she wasn't going to make her husband cook dinner after spending the day cooking for others. Best to give him a decent meal while she could, because tourist season would begin again soon. With her back to the table, she began to pull ingredients from the cabinets, listening to her daughter ask her father what he meant earlier. She had assumed that he meant her grandpa and didn't understand why because she already knew him.

"No," Daisuke laughed. "Not Grandpa, though he should be coming home soon. What I meant was that maybe one day, someone you've never met before will come into your life. This person will see you as we see you, and I hope that they cherish the luck they were blessed with to meet you."

Kagome wasn't sure what her papa meant by that. From her experiences in school, even new students were keen to poke fun at her appearance. How could there be somebody that would actually enjoy being around her, outside of Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi? She finished off her apple slices and pushed the plate away so she could make space for her homework. Next to her, her papa sat silently and watched, ready to answer a question if needed.

As her father had predicted, her grandfather came home just before dinner was finished. He'd spent the day fishing on the pier, as evidenced by the pole and tacklebox he carried through to the mud room. Kagome continued to work on her assignments, half-listening as the adults discussed their day. Fishing was one of her grandfather's hobbies since retirement, but today it didn't sound like he so much as got a nibble.

"Must be those merfolk scaring the fish off," he sulked.

Her head raised up. "Merfolk?"

"Mermaids and Mermen," Daisuke explained. "Pops, you really can't blame a bad day of fishing on a legend. They're a part of the ocean as well, anyway; I doubt they'd purposely run off a school of fish."

"Then what could be the cause? I've fished at that pier with results each time!"

Michiru approached the table with a plate of dinner rolls. "Maybe it's the type of bait you're using. If fish get too familiar with one kind, they may recognize that there's danger that comes with it."

Kagome didn't care about the topic of fishing, so when she spoke it surprised the whole room. "There are mermaids and mermen in the ocean?"

"You see, Kagome…" her mother started. Kagome wasn't sure she was going to like the answer, if her mother's expression was anything to go by. Her parents never lied to her, but sometimes they got this look that meant that they were trying to figure out just _how much_ to tell her about something. This was one of those times. "…mermaids and mermen…are a legend that's been a part of the island for as long as people have lived here. Some say that they bring danger to fishermen trying to earn a living, some see them as a blessing for protecting the oceans. It's all a matter of who you talk to."

"Oh. What do you think of them?"

Michiru thought for a minute. "I think… if they are real… that they are guardians to the island."

Kagome looked over at her papa for his opinion. "Like your mother, I think they would be guardians," he replied.

"What about Grandpa?"

Before his father could open his mouth, Daisuke responded, "Grandpa thinks that they are conniving creatures that can transform into humans and walk among us. That's why he blames them for a poor fishing day."

"That's stretching it, Daisuke-"

"Pops, you know I'm not wrong."

A small hand tapped the table to get everyone's attention. "They can turn into people, like us?"

Michiru smiled. "As the legends go. Merfolk are said to be half human and half fish-like in appearance. Beautiful and strong, just like you Kagome."

She returned to the oven to collect and serve their dinner onto plates, leaving Kagome to her thoughts. As she put up her completed homework, her mind was filled with questions about merfolk, forgetting all about the nasty comments she had received that afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome looked forward to each weekend and dreaded it at the same time.

Weekends meant that her papa was off work typically, unless the island was heavy with tourism, then he might be called to handle the influx of hungry people at the diner. When her papa was home though, the entire family would spend the day at the beach, just like so many other families. Families that had children who liked to swim. Children who were smaller than her.

Being fat – and yet not fat – sucked.

Each weekend that she went to the beach, Kagome would wear a bathing suit to please her mama, but she still wanted to cover up with her baggiest t-shirt and shorts. Sure, on some days it was more uncomfortable, and she envied the children who ran and splashed in the water. But then she would recall the latest jeers from those same children and she preferred to stay hot instead of exposing herself to more ridicule. It was bad enough to hear those things from her peers, but she wasn't sure she could take it if she ever heard adults comment on her size.

It was better this way.

Mama was understanding of her daughter's dilemma. It still hurt to see her sit on the beach towel each trip and watch the other children run around and have fun. What could she do? It seemed like her talks with the girl weren't sinking in as much as she'd hoped, and she was running out of ideas. It wasn't normal for a seven-year-old girl to be so self-conscious about her body weight, at least not when she was a child. She'd never heard the other parents mention anything of the sort about their daughters, but then it was _their_ daughters that had put these dark thoughts into _her_ daughter's head. All she could hope for was that one day the talks would resonate with Kagome to where she could be happy as herself, no matter what she looked like.

"Here," Mama said, pressing a small coin purse into Kagome's hand. "It's alright if you don't want to show your bathing suit, but I'd really like it if you could enjoy yourself. Grab a bite to eat, play a game, anything you want as long as you stay in the area. I'll come find you when it's time to go home, okay?"

Kagome accepted the allowance, nodding to Mama as she tucked the coin purse into her shorts pocket. It had quickly become a new tradition when they went to the beach each weekend. The vendors that set up in the area were welcoming, and within a few visits they had come to know her by first name. Even if Kagome wasn't particularly hungry, she'd pass some time talking with the employees when they weren't busy. There were also games she could playas well; beachside versions of the carnival games that would appear each fall that took more luck than skill to really win. She didn't mind, she enjoyed the momentary peace of being around people who weren't pointing out what she couldn't control.

There were only a few weeks before the steady stream of tourists began to roll in, though the beach was more occupied this weekend than Kagome had seen so far this year. She watched her papa and grandpa play with her infant brother. This was Souta's second outing on their weekend routine, and Kagome felt a pang of guilt as she accepted the coin purse from her mama. Was it right to run off to amuse herself? The next few weeks could become too busy for her papa to come with them, and if her mother was too tired from taking care of the baby, then she'd want to stay home.

Mama sensed the change in her daughter's mood. "You should go on and have fun, Kagome," she urged. "Souta's still too young to take in the water, and we don't want to keep you sitting with us in the sand all day."

"Are you sure it's okay Mama?"

"Of course it is. You know our routine by now."

With a gentle nudge Kagome turned and trudged across the sand to the boardwalk where the vendors set up. Some lines had begun to form at her usual stops, so all Kagome really felt comfortable with as she passed them was a wave. She knew how hard her papa worked in the diner, so she wasn't about to interrupt them while they worked. Instead she decided to try to shoot basketballs into the hoop.

"How's the little lady and her family?" The teen employee asked as Kagome handed him her coins.

"Fine," she replied, taking the first of the three basketballs. "It's getting busy sooner than I thought it would. Papa may have to do afternoon shifts early." She tossed the first basketball, watching with bated breath as it traced the rim of the hoop before falling through. Kagome clapped happily as it passed through the netting and bounced along the platform before reaching for her second attempt.

"You're getting quite the arm," the teenager grinned, catching the second basketball as it bounced off the platform towards him. "You ever thought about trying out for the team?"

Kagome shook her head. "They wouldn't pick me."

She didn't have to elaborate, and the teenager chose not to follow that thread any longer. He could tell that she was self-conscious, so whenever she came to visit his perch on the boardwalk he'd attempt to boost her spirits. Even if it was just so long as she hung around to shoot basketballs, if she walked away in a lighter mood, then he felt successful. The little girl shot her third attempt, and while this one was a hair's breath from falling into the hoop, she didn't appear put out by the miss. "Hold up," he said, when Kagome was about to turn away. He reached under the table and pulled out a bin of prizes that were to be given out with three successful shots. His father had brought in a new collection of items and he had spotted on in particular that he had earmarked for one person. He pulled out a charm necklace fitted with imitation chipped puka shells and a polished rose quartz bead and held it out to Kagome.

"But I didn't-" She knew the rules of the game; make three baskets in order to win a prize. She'd only made two.

"From what I saw, you had it. Now you can take this necklace now, or I'll hang on to it for next time. Either way it's yours. You've earned it with how well you've done. There ain't many seven-year-olds who can make one shot at that distance, much less two in a row." He grinned when her tiny hand reached out and accepted the necklace, pulling it around her neck.

* * *

It was warm. Far warmer than he had expected.

His parents had told him this, but he had played their warnings off as being overprotective. As he walked along the beach shore, the hot sand on his bare feet was almost painful, and he was beginning to think better of coming here. There were no clouds in the sky today, and even the light reflecting off the ocean made him shield his eyes.

Why was he here, exactly? To expand his horizons, so to speak. His parents had met on the beach, and in their opinion, it was a good place to make new friendships. Dark brown eyes looked across the landscape at the large groups of people spread out. Everyone seemed to be with at least one other person. Very few that sat underneath small canopies that were alone did not appear to be in a socializing mood. He let out a soft grunt. Just how was he supposed to talk to anyone if they were already with a group? He wasn't the best at introducing himself to one person, much less more. His mouth had a tendency to say what he thought before his good sense could warn him against it, so he came off as a brash little brat to some. That's what his half-brother said, anyway.

"_This will be good for you,"_ his mother had told him before he left his home for the day. _"Try to find someone who looks to be your age. That shouldn't be hard."_

The boy frowned. Anybody who looked close to his age was either with what he assumed was family or other groups of kids. Not one person looked to be on their own that he felt comfortable walking up to. His eyes scanned the area again, noticing some of the people breaking off to go on something he overheard as "the boardwalk". Whatever it was, it looked like people gathered there, so he crossed the hot sand and followed the crowd.

The boardwalk, he had come to discover quickly, was a collection of people that sold goods and entertainment of all varieties. The smells of the foods were intoxicating; he didn't know what they were, but he was going to be sure to ask his mother when he returned home. There were vendors who sold trinkets of all sizes and forms, from small handmade jewelry to painted clothing that was created on the spot. He recognized some of the games from his mother's descriptions, but there were many that he was certain she had never heard of.

"Where ya going, chubby bunny?"

He paused, not knowing where the question came from. It had been a boy that asked, he knew that much.

"Leave me alone."

That was a girl, and she didn't sound happy.

"Not until you tell us where you're going, chubby bunny."

Another voice, and this one sounded like it came from the same direction. Another boy, it seemed.

"You going to stuff yourself with funnel cakes?" the first boy asked.

The second chimed in. "You ought to lay off those, chubby bunny. You won't be able to get through the school doors if you keep this up."

"I said leave me alone!" There was a hitch in the girl's voice that he didn't like. That wasn't what a girl was supposed to sound like at all. Before he realized it, his feet had begun leading in in the direction of the voices.

"What's the matter? Is chubby bunny gonna cry?"

"You're such a jerk!"

"You know if you cry, you're gonna be chubby blubber bunny," the second snickered.

And like always, he had opened his mouth before his better judgement could stop him. "You two need to shove off," he growled.

All three heads turned to look at him. "Who the heck are you?" the first asked.

"Doesn't matter," he said. "But I know my mother raised me better than to pick on a girl."

"She deserves it," the second countered, "on account of she's so-"

He didn't let the other kid finish the sentence. He'd grabbed him by the neckline of his shirt and lifted him up in the air. "No girl deserves to be talked to like that," he growled again, shaking the kid. "So you best get out of here and out of my sight." For extra measure he gave the kid a shove as he put him down, sending a glare at the first kid as a warning.

The pair looked like they were considering challenging him, but thought better of it and walked off. He watched them until they disappeared before turning to the girl. "Are you alright?"

"I…I'm fine…" she mumbled, looking down at her feet.

He stepped closer, slowly so as not to startle her. "Do they do that a lot?" he asked gently. "Call you names?"

She nodded, not looking up, and the gesture made him want to chase those two boys down. "They have no right."

"I kn-know," she sighed. The girl looked up at him for the first time. "Mama tells me that. I…try not to let them get to me…but…" she shrugged. "Thank you."

He felt his cheeks pinken lightly. "It's no problem." Then it hit him. She looked to be about his age. She wasn't around a lot of people. Doing what his mother told him, he held out his hand to her. "My name is Inuyasha Taisho."

Slowly she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm Kagome Higurashi."

It was the first smile he had seen on her face.

* * *

Things were going, Kagome thought, up until two of boys from the class next door found her. Then the teasing had started up, and all she wanted to do was just walk away. She didn't want to have a shouting match on the boardwalk. She just wanted to be left alone. They wouldn't listen…and then something changed. A boy had shown up, telling them to back off. He even picked one of them up as a sign of his strength, like he was daring them to challenge him. Kagome almost expected him to turn on her when they ran off, but he didn't.

He'd introduced himself. Inuyasha Taisho.

Now he was standing there looking at her like she was supposed to say something else. Kagome was just hoping that the smile she felt form didn't look crazed. She took a moment to really look at the boy that stood before her. His black hair fell to his shoulders, just slightly longer than hers, but it didn't look girly on him like it would have on one of the boys in her class. He wore a plain tank top and shorts, but no shoes. Then again it was the beach, and most of the locals didn't bother to wear shoes in the brick and mortar stores on the other side of the boardwalk.

Right. She was supposed to say something. "Do you…live around here?" she asked. "I don't think I've seen you before."

Inuyasha didn't appear bothered by her long pause. "My family doesn't live far from here, but this is the first time I've been to this beach."

"Do you like it?"

"It's…busy." He winced as he said it. His mother would be appalled at his ability to speak.

But Kagome giggled, so maybe it wasn't as bad as he feared. "I think the tourists are coming early this year," she replied. "Normally the island is rather quiet. The tourists are good for us, though, even if it means Papa has to work extra long."

"What does he do?"

"He works at a diner. He cooks food." Kagome fingered the charm that hung from her new necklace. "Do you want to get something to eat?" she asked suddenly. "My treat, because you ran those boys away." She hadn't missed the look of resistance that crossed his face, but she was insisting. He had kept her afternoon from going bad.

* * *

Inuyasha wasn't sure how he allowed himself to be drug along the boardwalk by this Kagome. She had stated that she was going to treat him to something to eat, and as he quickly discovered, when she set her mind to something she meant it. She took him to a vendor that she had known fairly well, striking up a conversation with the workers as they bundled up two hot twisted dough pieces and fished in their container for bottles of some liquid that she had asked for.

He learned that this twisted dough was the "pretzel" that his mother had often reminisced about, but the bottled liquid was a mystery. Kagome had told him it was "Dr. Pepper", but he didn't think that doctors were skilled in the art of creating drinks. It was refreshing, as the pretzel was incredibly salty in spots. His mother would have been pleased that he remembered to thank Kagome for her generosity.

Kagome was smiling more. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but he was happy to see her smile. So when his mouth blurted out his thoughts, he wanted to kick himself for seeing her expression drop suddenly. "Sorry, I didn't-"

"No, it's okay," she said, trying to smile at him reassuringly. All he could see was that she was sad. "I don't…have a lot of friends. Lots of the kids in my school pick on me because I'm not skinny like they are. I do have friends, but they have their own things that they do." She gestured at her clothes. "That's why my clothes are so big. So I can hide and still enjoy the beach like everyone else."

Inuyasha shook his head. "That's stupid. You shouldn't have to hide because of some dumb people." He shifted in his seat. "I get what you mean about friends. The few I have are usually busy, so I don't see them as much as I'd like."

"Could we be friends?" Kagome asked softly.

He looked up at her, stunned. "You want to be my friend?"

She nodded. "If you want to be mine?"

Inuyasha smiled. This girl wanted to be his friend. She barely knew him at all, and already she wanted to spend more time with him. Despite all of his verbal blunders, she still wanted to try. "Yeah, I'd like that."

With his words, Kagome's smile returned full force, and Inuyasha was stunned at how it brightened her whole being. It was a genuine smile, and he hoped he got to see it again.

"Kagome!"

A shout from a ways away caught their attention, and Kagome waved at the woman who approached their bench. Both got up from their spot, Kagome to greet the woman with a hug, and Inuyasha out of respect. His parents always told him to show respect when meeting other adults, and sitting wasn't the way to do it.

"Did you have a good afternoon, dear?" Michiru smiled, noticing the boy that stood off to the side. She didn't recognize him.

"I did, Mama!" Kagome turned and motioned to Inuyasha to come closer. "I made a new friend today. This is Inuyasha Taisho."

"It's nice to meet you," Inuyasha said, holding out his hand like he had done for Kagome. This woman, Kagome's mother, seemed delighted by his manners and shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Inuyasha. My name is Michiru, Kagome's mother. Tell me dear, do you live in the area?"

"Not far from here. My family hasn't been to this beach for a long time. It's my first time visiting."

Kagome looked to Inuyasha. "We come here each weekend. Would you be able to come back, if your parents said it was okay?"

"They should be fine with it, but I'll ask. I'd like to come back and visit with you again."

Michiru smiled. This was a nice change. Usually Kagome looked ready to head home most weekends, but this time she seemed reluctant to leave. "If your parents will allow it, you're welcome to come visit at our house any time." Her daughter's eyes looked surprised but happy just the same.

"I will ask them." He was just as surprised. "I should probably go as well," he said, looking at the setting sun. "My parents will expect me home for dinner."

Inuyasha turned back to Kagome, about to tell her goodbye, when she pitched forward and hugged him around the shoulders. Awkwardly he returned the hug the best he could, since she had pinned his arms down to his sides. "Thank you for being my friend," she whispered before pulling back. In a blink she was walking down the boardwalk with her mother, occasionally looking back and waving.

* * *

Inuyasha waited until he was certain most of the people on the beach were either packing up or had left before he ducked behind the stone wall divider. It hadn't been any trouble to slip through the people on the beach to make it to the stacked stones, as everyone was too concerned about their own belongings to notice a small boy on his own. His mother had told him that this wall was built by the local residents to keep tourists from venturing into unstable land. If one was not familiar with the area, they would surely fall and hurt themselves on rocks buried in the sand.

With one last glance to make sure no one had followed him, Inuyasha began to undress. He folded his clothes neatly and tucked them away with the others in a small hutch that was carved into the stone wall. He double checked to make sure that the stone covered the hidden compartment before he darted into the ocean. Standing naked on the beach didn't bother him really; it was the cool breeze that come by that did. The sun was almost past the horizon, and the wind carried a bit of a chill with it.

The ocean water was warm in comparison as he dove deeper. He could feel the tingle of the transformation take place as his human legs shifted and merged into the tail he was used to. There was no pressure on his chest that restricted his breathing. His eyes adjusted to the darkness as he swam, and before long he could see clearly as if he were on land again.

Inuyasha continued to swim towards the large structure, anxious to find his parents. Many of the merfolk spoke of the structure as a castle, given his father was the head guardian of this part of the sea, but to him it was home. It had always been large to him, but he had learned that it had been expanded on for centuries. After all, it was also home to his older half-brother and his father's first wife as well.

The boy was glad he didn't cross Sesshomaru's path on the way to find his parents. His stepmother Inukimi was kind to him, and he held no disrespect towards her, but her son got enjoyment out of tormenting him. He pushed himself faster as he heard his mother speaking to his father in the sitting room.

Both adults looked up as a small body swam into the room. "Inuyasha," Izayoi smiled, "Did you have fun today on the shore?"

Inuyasha's grin spoke volumes even before he started to tell them about his day. He spared no details on how he met Kagome Higurashi, her mother, or how she had extended an invitation to their home. Izayoi was pleased to hear that he had remembered his manners. Touga was intrigued by this new change in their son. He had expected the boy to come back home in even more of an ill mood than when he left, growling about how the whole idea was ridiculous. Yet here that same boy was, excitedly telling them about how he looked forward to going up to the shore again just to see this Kagome.

* * *

**A/N: A little longer this time around, and now Inuyasha's made his first appearance! Next chapter will see them a few years down the road, because if I wrote each chapter as they gradually grew it'd easily go into double-digit territory before we got anywhere significant. There's still a lot about Inuyasha and Kagome that I haven't begun to go into yet, so hang tight. **


	3. Chapter 3

_Three years later_

Kagome bent forward, resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. The video on her television was paused, showing the instructor in a pose that she couldn't hope to accomplish anytime soon. She straightened and wiped her brow, pushing her bangs back and not caring that some of the strands stuck up and wild angles.

She couldn't take the teasing anymore. Her classmates had only become more ruthless as they aged. It didn't even matter that some of them were starting to become bigger than she was. All they saw was the chubby little girl they had first met in kindergarten who didn't fit in with the rest. Now at the age of 10, Kagome was already fearing what her teenage years would be like if she didn't do something to drop this weight.

Michiru had shot down Kagome's original idea of dieting. No child her age should be on a diet, her mother had reasoned, pointing out that she was already eating quite healthy. Then Kagome suggested exercise, and her mother was more accepting of that one, so long as she was taking part in an activity that she enjoyed.

So she started to take up dancing.

In the beginning it was simple stuff that she could keep up with. As months turned into a year and her interest hadn't waned, Michiru began to look for more instructional videos for Kagome to follow. Since Souta was too little still to be a decent practice partner, Kagome was limited to dances that she could do by herself. Her little brother didn't hesitate to give his opinion on her progress, sitting in a beanbag chair off to the side of the cleared living room.

At two years of practice, Kagome had become more limber than she had originally been, though she still had "problem areas" of baby fat that refused to disappear. It was frustrating to the young girl, to push herself until she was red in the face and struggling to breath, only to see pudge around her waist and in her cheeks when she looked in the mirror. Her mother had explained to her – many times now – that it would disappear in time as she aged, that it was a natural part of growing. As much as Kagome liked to believe that, she still feared that she'd forever have fat cheeks.

Each weekend she would still go down to the beach, but instead of making small talk with her family most times, she'd veer towards the boardwalk, looking for a boy with long black hair and sun kissed skin. Without fail, Inuyasha would be waiting for her at the bench where they sat and ate soft pretzels that first day. In their second meeting, he had looked just as happy to see her as she did him. Since then, they picked up conversations where they had left off like a week's time hadn't passed.

It had been a few weeks before Inuyasha had felt comfortable enough to visit Kagome at her house. He'd explained that since he wasn't familiar with the area, he wanted to be certain of how far away she lived from the beach. Kagome hadn't thought anything of it, assuming that his parents came to collect him at the end of the day. She thought it was odd that she hadn't seen them, but decided that it wasn't important. If his parents had given their permission to let him visit at her house, then that was good enough for her.

Kagome shook her arms, taking another deep breath. She reached for the remote and set the video to play, tossing the device on the couch behind her. She was determined to keep up with this instructor. It may not be that day, but she was positive it would be soon.

* * *

"How come your clothes are so big?" Inuyasha watched as Kagome demonstrated the latest dance she had learned in the back yard of her house.

It was an honest observation. Her clothes were incredibly baggy, and there were moments where he feared she would stumble in them if she wasn't careful. It was clear they were too big for her, hanging on her form like they were hand-me-downs. It would have made sense if she had an older sibling, but she didn't.

Kagome didn't look upset like he'd expected. "You remember when we first met? How I said that my classmates picked on me for being fat?"

"You're not fat, Kagome!"

"Well I'm bigger than the other kids in school!" she huffed, dropping down onto the porch next to him. "I've got more 'baby fat' than the other kids. Mama says that it'll go away, but…I don't know."

Inuyasha frowned. "Still doesn't mean you have to hide."

"I'm not hiding!"

"You are!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am n- fine, I guess I am," she relented. Kagome didn't want to argue the point with him, but she also didn't want to let him off that easy. "How come your parents haven't come around? You always leave to go meet them."

This time Inuyasha was the one to look frustrated. "My parents…are usually busy," he tried to explain. "It's just easier if I meet them at a certain place on the beach because it's on the way home."

"Oh…"

"I'd like you to meet them," he added quickly. "I don't know when, but someday."

Kagome smiled, leaning to the left to bump his shoulder with hers. "It's okay."

"You still haven't explained why your clothes are so baggy," he said.

She sighed. "I thought that if I wore clothes bigger than me, that maybe no one would remember that I'm pudgy. But since my classmates continue to tease me, I'm beginning to think that that's all anyone sees when they look at me."

"It's not what I see."

"What?"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome. "I see someone whose not happy with how things are. I see someone who is trying to please others before herself. That by hiding you're doing everyone else a service, and that's not right. You're really special, Kagome. You shouldn't have worry about making anyone happy but yourself."

Kagome was stunned. "You…see that?" Not once had any of her girl friends ever said anything close to that.

"You're perfect, Kagome. Don't let anyone make you think you're less-" He was unprepared for the girl to launch herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck, or to feel the tears hit his shoulder as she cried. "W-wait!" He started to panic. Inuyasha was never sure how to handle girls when they cried. "P-Please don't cry, Kagome! I'm sorry!"

"You didn't do anything," she said between sniffles. Kagome scooted back, feeling foolish for blubbering all over her friend. She rubbed her cheeks dry and tried to smile at Inuyasha to show that she wasn't upset with him. "You made me really happy, is all. No one's ever said that to me before."

If he thought about her statement too long it would likely make him mad, so he said "Then I'll have to tell you. However many times it takes for it to sink in."

A comfortable silence fell between the two. Kagome took the opportunity to calm herself down. Was she so low that a few kind words had her in tears? Probably, and that realization made it a hundred times worse. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were good friends. They may not have been the best of friends all the time, but until Inuyasha appeared, they were what she had.

"Oh, I just remembered something!"

Inuyasha didn't get a chance to ask what it was before Kagome grabbed his hand and drug him back into her house, up the stairs and into her bedroom. It wasn't the first time he had been in her room, but it still felt awkward. Among their people, it wasn't proper for unmated mermaids to allow mermen entrance into their private quarters if they weren't kin. If the mermaid had promised herself to another, that was an exception, but was still met with frowns from older generations. Inuyasha had never kept anything about his visits with Kagome from his parents, including being in her bedroom alone with her. They trusted his judgment on the matter, just as Kagome's parents trusted him. What bothered him the most was why exactly he felt awkward in her room. There wasn't a specific reason he could think of, which made the feeling more exasperating.

Kagome never noticed how unsettled Inuyasha was as she searched around her desk. It never failed, each time she cleaned her room, she could never find what she was looking for. Her desk had been the most untidy thing, and she had cleaned it the day before of all the things she had been working on. Not finding the item on top or in any of the containers that sat on the desktop, she began to open the side drawers, pushing bits and pieces back and forth. She let out an unladylike grunt as she shut the first drawer, pulling open the second. "Here it is!"

"What?" Inuyasha turned at the gasp from Kagome and saw her walk back to him holding something in her hands.

"I've been working on this for a while," she explained, "Down at the boardwalk, there's that basketball game where you try to get the ball in the hoop? I've won a few pieces from that game, but I didn't like how they looked on their own, so I took them apart and made this." Kagome held up a beaded necklace. Most of the beads were a dark purple color, almost black, broken up with the occasional bleached shell that curved into a blunt point.

"It looks nice, Kagome."

"Good," she beamed, "Because I want you to have it, Inuyasha."

"K-Kagome! I can't- You worked really hard on that-"

"I made it for _you_, Inuyasha!" Kagome was insistent. She reached under the collar of her t-shirt and pulled up a puka shell necklace with a charm on it. Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly at it, but she missed the look of recognition. "The day we met, I was playing that basketball game. I made two of the three shots required to win a prize, but the guy that works there said that this was meant for me. I didn't understand what he meant at the time, but I think it was a sign that we were supposed to meet. You've been such a good friend to me Inuyasha, that I wanted to make you a necklace too. I couldn't find the right one among what he had, so I picked what I liked best out of those I've won and made my own."

Inuyasha was still apprehensive. He didn't see where he had done anything to deserve the gift, and told her so as she slipped the beads around his neck.

"This way you can remember me when we're not together," she said.

"Like I could forget you," he grinned. "Thank you, Kagome. I'll treasure this."

Kagome's smile was nearly ear to ear as she absentmindedly played with the stone that hung from her neck. That was something he'd have to remember to ask his parents about one of these days. Surely it had to be a coincidence.

* * *

Hours later, when Inuyasha returned to his home, he knew he should have brought up the resemblance of the necklace to the old tales he'd been told, but something else was weighed heavily on his mind. The necklace could wait for another day.

"Mother, how do you make someone see that they aren't what they claim they are?"

Izayoi looked up from her project and frowned. "What do you mean, sweetheart?"

"It's Kagome. She…she doesn't think very good of herself."

He'd mentioned briefly over the years that she'd been picked on by her peers for her appearance, but that evening he went into great detail about what she'd told him and what he'd observed in the few years they had known each other. Izayoi's frown became more pronounced as he continued to talk, and by the time he'd brought her up to speed with the day's conversation, she looked downright troubled. Inuyasha didn't leave anything out, and she had been informed that this girl's parents were aware of the situation, so it's not like things hadn't been hidden from them. It still bothered her that there was little that could be done to stop these children; this Kagome sounded like a sweet child that didn't deserve such harsh words. What was more upsetting was how it had begun to take its toll on the girl herself, if she had broken down in front of Inuyasha for the kind words he said.

"I don't know what to do, Mother." Inuyasha was frowning now. "I keep trying to tell her that there's nothing wrong with her, but today really freaked me out. She's never cried like that in front of me before."

Izayoi reached over and pulled her son into her side, running her fingers through his hair. "I know, sweetheart. You have to understand that Kagome might not have had anyone aside from her family say such things, so it could have been overwhelming to her."

"I told her that if I had to, each time we see each other I'd tell her that she's perfect," he mumbled. Had he looked up, he would have seen the knowing smile cross his mother's lips, but her touch was soothing and distracting at the same time.

"Have you told her about us?" she asked suddenly, breaking him out of his daze.

"Only that you and Father are busy. That you pick me up at the beach when you're returning home."

His mother hummed lightly, nudging him to look up at her. "I think perhaps we should consider telling Kagome the truth. About everything."

"A-Are you sure, Mother?"

"We'll need to discuss it with your father, of course, but I think he'd agree. You can't keep telling Kagome that she's perfect as she is if she doesn't know that you're perfect as you are."


	4. Chapter 4

_Three years later…_

Kagome was beginning to see signs of her body changing, as her mother had assured her it would. She had grown in the past three years, nearly reaching her mother's shoulders. She looked in the mirror in her bedroom, dressed in a sports bra and panties, as she studied her reflection. Every so often she'd reach out to poke a section of her body, frowning at how pliant it was under pressure.

Her breasts had begun to grow in the past year, but it wasn't much to be proud of, seeing as how many of the girls in her class had begun to fill out the summer before. Her hips lacked the roundness the other girls had gained as well, and she wondered if this was her lot in life on more than one occasion. Was she doomed to be the one to get the table scraps while the rest of the world got first dibs on the main course?

She sighed through her nose, holding her hands up to her chest to see if she could make her chest appear larger than it was. Maybe…just maybe if she could…would people not see the pudge of her stomach?

'_Can't let Inuyasha hear me say anything like this,'_ she thought to herself. _'He'd be furious at me if he knew half the things I thought about myself.'_

Each weekend for the past three years Inuyasha made it a point to tell Kagome that she was perfect. It didn't matter when during his visit, he'd sneak it in. She was mortified thinking back on that first month of this new tradition, where each time he said it she'd begin crying into his shoulder. He didn't make fun of her for it, and she was grateful for that. Instead he'd hold her until the tears subsided, and they'd go on about their business. It was still something she had trouble accepting, but now she didn't cry when he said it.

Kagome reached up and smacked her cheeks lightly, bringing her attention back to the present. _'I can't let Inuyasha see me in my underwear either,'_ she chided herself, turning to the closet. _'He may think I'm perfect, but he still wouldn't want to see all of me on display.'_ She reached up for one of her old band t-shirts and a pair of shorts. The collar on the shirt had worn away, leaving it gapped, but it was too comfortable to retire.

She was just pulling the shirt over her head when she heard her mother shout from downstairs. "Kagome, dear! Inuyasha's here to see you!"

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the back porch, watching Kagome demonstrate the newest dance she had learned. He'd never admit it to her, but he didn't see how these dances were as much dancing as they were gesturing wildly. It made her happy, and that was what mattered.

As she kicked up dust across the yard, he couldn't help but take in her appearance. She still wore baggy shirts and shorts, but these weren't as long as the ones she wore as a child. When she twisted her upper body, the shirt would gap and move about, exposing her mid drift for the briefest of moments. He wasn't sure if she knew her shirt was doing this. He also wasn't sure if he should point it out, either. Doing so would imply that he had been deliberately looking, which he was not.

He wasn't. He was just watching his friend dance.

Kagome had become more limber in the last three years. Moves that she hadn't been able to execute as swiftly then were flawless now. In a way it was like watching a moving piece of art.

Maybe that's how he ought to tell her that she was perfect this time.

"What do you think?" She asked suddenly, and to his horror he realized he had spaced out at the end of the dance.

"I think you looked great," he said, clearing his throat. "Like art in motion. It was perfect."

Kagome raised an eyebrow as she walked up to join him on the porch. "Is that how you're motivating me this week?"

"Depends. Is it working?"

She laughed, leaning against his shoulder. "Yeah, I think it is."

They fell into their familiar silence after that, just enjoying being in the other's presence. Some visits they barely said more than a handful of sentences to each other, because it wasn't needed. It would have looked odd to anyone who didn't know them, but sometimes it wasn't necessary to fill the void with noise. There were only so many times Kagome could go on about school, and Inuyasha felt limited in what he could say.

He tried not to let his expression show as his mood dropped. It had been almost three years to the day that he approached his mother for advice about helping Kagome, and she had suggested that he tell her the truth about himself. As she had predicted, Toga agreed on the matter, and both had given him permission to reveal his secrets to Kagome and her family when he felt ready.

The problem was getting up the nerve to actually tell Kagome. It never felt like the right time to drop a secret like that on the girl, and he knew the longer he held it in, the worse the fallout could be. Would she even want to be his friend afterward? Would she be furious that he had been omitting part of his life for the last six years? That's assuming that she didn't run for the hills screaming, of course. And telling this particular secret to the wrong people could lead to danger to his people. He knew Kagome wouldn't purposely try to hurt him, but it was her family that he was unsure of still. Not that they'd hurt him themselves – he had no doubts about that – but would they be able and willing to keep the secret among themselves? He didn't want Kagome to lie to her family, so if he was going to tell her, he wanted to know that her family knew as well.

So how the hell was he supposed to tell her?!

"Inuyasha?" Kagome nudged him gently. "You okay? You look like you got something you on your mind."

He made a face, cursing himself for letting his emotions get away from him. "I…yeah," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "Listen, Kagome…you ever not tell your school friends something for a long time, and then pluck up the courage to tell them?"

"I think so. Why? What brought that up all of a sudden?"

"Please don't be mad, Kagome." Inuyasha turned to face her, slipping her hands in his. "There's something I haven't told you about me, and it's kind of a big thing. I just… I didn't know how to tell you before now, and I needed to make sure my parents would be alright with me telling you and-"

"Inuyasha, what's going on?" Kagome started to feel uneasy with the way he was talking. She began to think that something may have been wrong, her mind whirling with ways that she could help him.

"Kagome," he cut her off. "What I need to tell you cannot go past your family; it's kind of a big secret about my family. Would your family be okay with this?"

"Yes, my family adores you Inuyasha. What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" He shook his head, looking around the back yard. "Nothing's wrong, 'Gome. But… it might be easier to show you. Get you to believe me better when I tell you. Will you come with me to the beach?"

* * *

Kagome had allowed Inuyasha to lead her down to the beach, far off from where she typically frequented. She recognized the stone wall as the barrier that was put up to prevent tourists from getting hurt, but she was surprised when he tugged her around the other side. Only people really familiar with the island's landscape went past the wall. She knew where to step, of course, but she didn't venture back here very often because she had no real need for that kind of solitude. "This area's not very stable," she began to say, but he cut her off.

"I know where to step."

"Y-you do? I thought you were new to the area when we met?"

Inuyasha didn't respond until they were concealed by the stone wall. The beach wasn't very populated, but he still peeked over the edge to make sure there were no people nearby. Anyone else could have seen two teenagers disappear behind the wall and think there was something more risqué happening. He wasn't stupid, and he sure as hell wasn't about to risk Kagome's reputation either. When he turned back to her, he braced himself for what he was almost certain would be a bad response. "In a sense, I was," he started, rubbing the back of his neck. "My family lives nearby, but…we don't live on the island."

It was clear she was confused. There were no other islands close to this one, so how was that possible?

He tried again. "Have you heard of the legend of the merfolk?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "My grandpa blames them for his bad luck when he fishes. Mama and Papa say that they're guardians of the island."

He tried not to snort at her grandpa's opinion. "What do you think?" he asked uneasily. Part of him was afraid of the answer.

"I think…guardians sound nicer than what Grandpa thinks. I can't imagine that they'd keep people from being successful fishing, especially the ones that make a living doing it. Why did you change the subject, Inuyasha? We were talking about you- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Kagome had been staring out at the ocean as she mulled over how to answer Inuyasha's question, and when she turned back to him she shrieked, throwing her hands over her eyes. He was taking his clothes off! Right in front of her! Fortunately for her, she had covered her eyes just as his shirt came off, so she only glimpsed his bare chest. Still, she felt heat gather in her cheeks at the image in her mind. He was trim, and it appeared that his tan was natural.

"Will you keep your voice down!" he hissed, dropping his shorts and boxers next to the shirt on the sand. "We don't need anybody to hear us!"

"Easy for you to say! You're the one taking your clothes off! I don't know what you think you're doing, but- what was that sound? Inuyasha?" Kagome had been about to rip into her friend for startling her, but the sound of water splashing caught her attention instead. When he next spoke, it sounded like he was a little further away from her.

"You can open your eyes, Kagome."

Was he laughing at her? Did he find her embarrassment funny? "Nice try, Inuyasha. I'm not looking anywhere near you until you're covered up."

"I'm covered up. Trust me."

Kagome took a deep breath, slowly removing her hands from her face. She was expecting to look across from her to see Inuyasha, but her gaze moved downwards to find him sitting in the sand where the ocean washed up and receded. His expression was nervous as he looked at her, and as she took him in, she understood why.

The deep red tail that formed past his hips was a big clue.

"Y-you…you're a…a…merman?" She took two steps towards Inuyasha, dropping to her knees next to him. "It's true?"

Inuyasha was expecting Kagome to scream, to run from him. The fact that she came to him and sat down gave him hope, but she was looking at him like she was dreaming. Maybe she was still trying to process what she was seeing. "We're real," he said, gingerly taking her hand. "I'm real." When he was certain she wouldn't pull away, he guided her hand to rest on the shimmering scales where his knee would have been. He thought maybe if she felt it, it would help it sink in.

Kagome's head was spinning. Inuyasha was a merman. One of the merfolk. He had a tail. She gulped as she felt the scales shift under her touch. It was bizarre, but…it was also fascinating. The scales were a dark red, almost like the darkest parts of a ruby. They were smooth, and she almost let her hand wander down the length of his tail. Almost. This was still Inuyasha. She removed her hand, muttering apologies. "You're a merman."

"Yeah."

"And merfolk are real."

"Exactly."

"H-how?"

Inuyasha looked at her. "Is that something we really need to go into? I'd rather not think about my parents-"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Kagome waved her hands to stop him. "That's not what I meant- I- I mean… oh, I don't know what I mean." She folded her hands in her lap as she looked at him. Except for the tail, he still looked the same. "You weren't kidding when you said it was a big secret, huh?"

He nodded, watching her carefully. She wasn't reacting at all like he had expected her to, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't. Still, he had to know. "I'll understand if you'd rather not talk to me again, Kagome. I know this is a lot to take in and-"

"Wait, hold up. What are you talking about? Do you really think I'd throw our friendship out the window because you're a merman?"

"Well I-"

"No!" Kagome cut him off this time. "Just because you're a merman doesn't mean that I'm going to stop being your friend, Inuyasha. So what if you're a merman? It doesn't bother me that you've got a tail. I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that the legend is true! That's what I'm hung up on!"

Inuyasha was baffled. This girl was really something else if she could look past _him_ being a whole other creature but still be surprised that his people actually existed. "You're still my friend?" he asked softly.

"Of course, you dummy!" she laughed, giving him a light shove. "You're my best friend, Inuyasha."

He smiled, feeling a weight lift off his chest at her words. "And you're mine," he replied, knowing the words were true as he said them. His friends in the sea were good friends, and though he had known them all his life, there was something about Kagome's friendship that felt timeless. Maybe it was that she had taken to him so quickly those six years ago, or maybe they had just clicked like puzzle pieces. Whatever it was, she was his best friend. "You won't tell your friends about my secret, will you?"

"Like they would believe me," she scoffed. "But my family…"

"They can know," he assured her. "My parents said that you and your family could know the truth. They trust you."

Kagome shook her head. "They've never met me or my family!"

"But I've told them about you," Inuyasha pointed out. "And they'd like to meet you all. I'm not sure when, but they've spoken with me about it."

She shifted in the sand to sit next to him, extending her legs out in front of her. "Does it hurt?" she asked suddenly. "Going from legs to a tail, I mean. How does that happen?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "It doesn't hurt, just…feels strange? I'm not sure how to describe it exactly; I've never really thought about it. When I go into the ocean, I have to get deep enough to swim before my tail completely forms or I'll fall."

"Is it water that makes your tail form? Like if someone dumped a bucket of water on you, would you transform?" She was struck with the sudden thought of the Wicked Witch of the West getting wet and melting in that Oz movie.

Her horrified expression must have been visible because Inuyasha laughed as he told her that was not the case. "Only ocean water. So unless that bucket of water is from the sea, I won't transform spontaneously."

"Don't laugh," she pouted, "I'm new to this."

He tried to contain his laughter, but her pout was both amusing and cute, two things he absolutely _would not_ tell her for entirely different reasons. "Well," he pressed on, clearing his throat, "when I come up on land, in order to gain my legs I have to get dry. So I cover my tail in the sand to speed it up. That way if a human ever came up on me, they wouldn't see my transformation."

Kagome nodded, taking this in. "And that's why you started stripping earlier? So you wouldn't rip your clothes?"

This time it was Inuyasha who looked embarrassed. "Before I met you, there was one time I didn't remove the clothes before I transformed. It's not easy trying to pull shorts off with a tail, because you can't move the same way if you had legs. If they hadn't been big on me, I'd have had to swim home like that to ask for help." He still smiled, recalling the memory. His mother had instructed him on what to do, and being a child, wondered why she insisted that he undress beforehand when he could undress afterwards. He had to learn the hard way, naturally.

"Um, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Your…uh… your tail is _glowing_."

"Glowing?"

Inuyasha snapped out of his memory to see that his tail had taken on a brighter sheen. He let out a string of swears that would have made Kagome laugh any other time, but his next words halted that. "Pants! Get my pants!" He hastily tried to scoop sand over himself before his transformation was complete. In the entire time they had talked, he had forgotten that the sun was drying him out, despite the ocean water coating the sand underneath him. He couldn't completely cover his tail, but he was damn determined to cover the important bits.

"Here!" Kagome's voice squeaked from behind him, dropping his pants and boxers into his lap. He knew she had turned around immediately after, so as soon as he could stand he was stepping into his underwear and pants. When Inuyasha turned to look for Kagome, she was only a few feet away, back turned and covering her eyes. He tapped her shoulder as he passed to retrieve his shirt, telling her it was okay. Kagome was still hesitant to look at him directly until he pulled his t-shirt over his head.

"Thanks," he said at last, straightening out the shirt and dusting the sand off of himself.

"No problem, she replied. "That…that was close."

"Yeah. That was close."


	5. Chapter 5

_One month later…_

"It's been far too long since I've used my legs," Izayoi commented, leaning against the stone wall for support.

Toga reached into the hutch to find a suitable shirt as his son kept a lookout. "Do you regret your choice?" he asked her, even knowing what her answer would be.

"Don't be ridiculous," she gave him a shove as she walked alongside the wall, getting a feeling for standing on two feet again. "You have been the best thing to happen to me before Inuyasha came along." She laughed at how his expression went from pleased to stunned to amused in seconds. Of course if given the option again, she'd make the same choice. She got the family she always dreamed of, and the life she had before could not provide that.

Inuyasha looked anxious as both his parents came around the stone wall, dressed like two respecting adults that were to meet the family of their son's best friend for the first time. He knew that Kagome's family was expecting them, but he couldn't help the fear that something would go wrong.

He and Kagome had waited to tell her family when she could get all of them together to tell at once, so it had been a few days later. for the most part, they had taken this news better than he had ever hoped. Grandpa was reluctant to admit that merfolk were more than a legend until Kagome produced a mason jar with ocean water. In the back yard she poured just enough on Inuyasha's shins to make the scales appear before giving him a towel to dry with. That had been convincing enough for the old man. Of course, this news came with even more questions. Inuyasha's knowledge was limited, but he explained what he had grown up knowing: that the merfolk in the area guarded the island, blessing the sea to keep the island's inhabitants prosperous and safe. He had heard tales of some merfolk coming landside to pose as humans so they could maintain the shorelines of the island, dropping hints here and there to guide the humans with things they could not do themselves.

"Lead the way, sweetheart." Izayoi combed her fingers through his long black hair before they started to walk across the beach. She knew her son was nervous; he had acted much the same way the day he came home to tell them that he told Kagome the truth. If she were honest with herself, coming landside again after so long was making her equally nervous. So many things had changed, but there were some things that had stayed the same. She sniffed the air, a smile lighting her face up as she began to recognize some of the cooked foods on the boardwalk.

Sure, it wasn't ideal to eat, but those scents brought back memories of a past she had walked away from for true happiness. This was her first home, and a small part of her suddenly missed it.

* * *

To say she was nervous was like saying that the ocean was wet.

Kagome stood in front of her mirror once again in her underwear, holding up shirts by their hangers, debating on which would be more appropriate. By default she wanted to choose the baggiest shirt she owned, but she also wanted to make a good impression. Mama always told her that first impressions were important.

What kind of impression did she want to make though? The baggy shirt she held in her right hand was probably what Inuyasha would describe as hiding from the world. The tunic blouse she held in her left was loose fitting, but it also did little to hide the fact that she wasn't as developed as the other girls her age. But…did that really matter? She frowned as that thought stuck with her. It's not like Inuyasha was her boyfriend or anything. He was her best friend, and this was the first time she'd be meeting his parents. How would she dress if she was meeting Eri, Yuka, or Ayumi's parents for the first time? Would it be any different?

In the end, Kagome returned the baggy shirt to her closet. This was a special occasion, so she needed to dress appropriately. She tugged the yellow tunic over her head, pulling her hair out of the back and smoothing the ruffles out in the front. Instead of selecting shorts, since most of hers didn't look right with the blouse, Kagome found a pair of jeans that fit comfortably. She returned to the mirror with her hairbrush, running it through her locks a few times to remove any tangles. There was one other thing that she could do to make herself presentable, but as she looked over to the small vanity, she decided against makeup. Mama had helped her select it as part of her birthday present that year, but she'd yet to find a suitable occasion for it. She'd spent evenings experimenting with it, but not once had she ever worn it around Inuyasha. Kagome wasn't sure if he'd think she was "hiding" behind it, and until she could pluck up the courage to wear it in front of him, she wasn't about to in front of his parents. They wanted to meet the girl their son had befriended, and she wanted to deliver the best she could.

At the sound of the doorbell, Kagome blurted out "I'll get it!" as she tossed her hairbrush on her bed before tearing down the stairs.

* * *

Izayoi heard the footfalls of the girl as she approached the door and tried to contain the smile at how her son tensed up. There was a pause before the doorknob turned, and she assumed the girl had tried to collect herself before opening the door. When she appeared, Izayoi smiled warmly at the shy-looking girl.

"Hello," she said, giving Inuyasha a smile.

"Hi." Inuyasha cleared his throat before motioning to each of them. "Kagome, this is my mother Izayoi and my father Touga."

"It's nice to meet you, my dear," Touga said, bowing slightly to the girl. "Inuyasha has spoken so much about you and your family over the years, I feel as though we've known each other for longer."

Kagome nodded mutely, and Izayoi wondered if they were coming off as intimidating. But then the girl moved aside to let them enter her home, and she mentioned that her family would be in the living room. While she closed the door behind them, Izayoi took the time to look around. It was moderately furnished, not so much so to appear like an art piece that shouldn't be touched, but just enough to live comfortably. There was not one place that didn't look like care had been taken in selecting what belonged there.

They were directed down a hallway and into an open room on the left where three adults were waiting with a small child. The younger of the men introduced himself as Daisuke Higurashi, his wife Michiru, his father Keiichi, and Kagome's younger brother Souta. Izayoi let Touga handle introductions and soon enough they were all seated, speaking with each other quite easily.

Hours had passed before anyone had realized it, and Michiru had stepped out to prepare dinner. Izayoi excused herself to follow the other woman, offering an extra set of hands. She wasn't about to let her host handle the meal on her own, not after inviting them to stay and eat, and she made a point of telling her that.

"How are you enjoying the island?" Michiru asked, wanting to keep the conversation going as they worked.

"I must admit that there are so many new things since I last walked this island," Izayoi sighed, "It is very reminiscent of my days before I met Touga as well."

Michiru paused, turning to look at the woman. "I don't understand. I thought you were one of the merfolk?"

"I am, now." Izayoi smiled apologetically. "Forgive me, I never mentioned that I was once human, did I? Some time ago, I lived on this very island. I had met Touga, not unlike how our children met coincidentally, and I fell in love. But I had to make a choice, did I want to live as I was and be unhappy, or did I want to take a chance for love? In the end, I chose love, and I was blessed with a wonderful husband and son."

"I think we may be kindred spirits in that regard," Michiru laughed. "My family did not approve of Daisuke, but I loved him and no other. If they could not be accepting of my husband, I knew they would not accept my children."

"Your family cut you out?" Izayoi felt her heart go out to this woman. Her family hadn't been thrilled, but they were moving on to bigger cities, and she dug her heels in. One of the last things they had told her before they left was that she was "welcome back when her dreams fell apart".

Michiru shrugged. "We were young and stubborn. Not so young now, but still just as stubborn. Keiichi took me into his home when Daisuke and I became engaged, and I haven't looked back. It was difficult at first, I won't lie, but knowing who really cared about me made it easier to move on."

"I know that we've only just met, but I hope that in time our family can become part of your circle as well."

Kagome's mother smiled. "That happened years ago, Izayoi. The day your son became friends with my daughter."

* * *

_Two years later…_

At fifteen years old, Kagome was finally starting to wear clothes like the other girls her age. Larger necklines, more fitted tops, and her shorts weren't so long and baggy anymore. Michiru was ecstatic to see her daughter come out of her shell, even if the only time she wore such clothes was when Inuyasha visited.

Since they had met his parents, she noticed that Kagome seemed to relax more, knowing that Toga and Izayoi were delighted with her. Inuyasha had come to visit more often since, particularly during her vacation days from school, but he'd come up to the house and wait for her through the school year as well. Those days he'd help around the house with the occasional odd jobs or sit and talk with her or Daisuke. Michiru had begun to look at Inuyasha as a second son. _"Perhaps son-in-law is more accurate,"_ she thought with a giggle, glancing into the backyard.

Not that she'd say anything like that out loud around them.

Though she wondered if Izayoi thought the same.

* * *

Kagome was starting to notice things about Inuyasha that she hadn't noticed before. There wasn't anything glaringly obvious about Inuyasha the last eight years that had changed, but there was something…different about him.

One thing she noticed was that he had long eyelashes. Or maybe they looked long because they were so dark, but she found herself staring far too long when he was concentrated on something. His hair had gotten long over the years, dropping to his waist now. Kagome wondered if he ever thought about cutting it, but hoped that he never asked for her opinion if he did. She wasn't sure she could give a clear answer. The long hair suited Inuyasha, but somehow Kagome had a feeling that even if he cut it off short, it would suit him just as well.

They now stood at the same height, but if Toga was anything to go by, Kagome knew that it wouldn't be long before Inuyasha became taller than her. He was still just as skinny as the day they met, but now there was a little muscle. She noticed this the first time she came home from school to see him helping around the house. Since Papa was working, Inuyasha had been helping Grandpa move some boxes into storage. It wasn't much, and she might not have noticed it if he'd turned, but there was a slight flex of his biceps as he lifted the large container with ease.

She wondered if other girls had noticed these things. There was more than just his family in the sea; he'd told her about his friends from time to time. Some of them were probably mermaids. Kagome wished she had a way to speak to his friends, the mermaids particularly, to see if they saw what she saw.

Then again, part of her was afraid to know the answer to that question.

* * *

"Kagome's at the diner today," Michiru smiled apologetically. "Daisuke needed an extra set of hands to bus tables. I'm headed that way if you'd like to come with me, Inuyasha."

The teenage boy nodded silently, falling into step beside her. The diner was a short walk from the house, fortunately, since Daisuke had taken the car that morning. Michiru explained that because Kagome was old enough, she was now able to work per the diner's regulations. Tourism was beginning to pick up, and when they were short on people available, Kagome had offered to help. Michiru felt guilty, even if it was her daughter's decision. _"I imagine she didn't expect Inuyasha to come by so soon, or she wasn't expecting the crowds."_

Inuyasha was slightly put out when Kagome's mother told him where Kagome was, but he tried not to let it show. She was fully capable of having obligations outside of waiting for him to visit, so he couldn't fault her for wanting to help her father. He was still getting to see Kagome, and he was getting to see more of the island, so there was that.

The diner, Big Island, was a homey establishment that locals and tourists flocked to for its variety. Inuyasha knew right away that both of his parents would enjoy eating here. His half-brother was debatable, but his stepmother was secretly curious about humans. It was busy as well. Michiru led him to the counter where two stools were unoccupied and motioned for him to sit as she waved Daisuke over.

"Good to see you, Inuyasha," Daisuke grinned. "Kagome's in the back, but she'll have a break here in a little bit. Can I get you something to eat while you wait?"

Inuyasha glanced down at the menu that was pushed towards him. Not sure about how to pronounce the title of the meal, he pointed to it as Daisuke wrote it down. Michiru didn't bother to look at the menu, knowing what she wanted to order by heart. She turned towards Inuyasha and whispered, "Chances are Daisuke'll make Kagome take the rest of the afternoon off when she goes on break."

"But if she's working I don't want-"

"We don't want either of you to feel like you're missing out on quality time together," she said. "Kagome's doing this more to help out her father than the paycheck. Trust me she more than makes up for any missed work time at home with housework. And besides, I don't think she's ever been so happy since she met you, Inuyasha."

Michiru had barely finished her sentence when the girl in question pushed through the swinging kitchen doors with a large bin propped on her hip. Inuyasha felt his breath hitch when he saw her. She was wearing the same t-shirt the other employees wore, a pair of ripped jeans, and her sneakers. If it hadn't been for the dark hair, he might not have recognized her until she turned to face him.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome hurried over to where he and her mother sat, giving each of them a quick one-armed hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I…uh…came to your house," he mumbled, rubbing his neck. "Your mother said you were here. You're not mad, are you?" Not once had it occurred to him that maybe coming to the diner with her mother was a bad idea, but her look of surprise had him suddenly nervous. They hadn't really gone out anywhere together, unless it was down to the beach.

Kagome's nose wrinkled at his question. "Mad? Why would I be mad, Inuyasha? I'm happy you're here! I-" Her attention scanned the room as she talked. "Hold onto that thought. I'll be back in a few minutes," she said, nodding to the bin at her hip. They watched her move to the recently vacated tables, collecting the dirty dishes and wiping down the tables with the damp washcloth from within the bin.

Michiru couldn't help but notice that Inuyasha never took his eyes off Kagome as she bused tables, stopping when called by customers to take note of who needed refills or answering questions by tourists. She turned away to motion to Daisuke to double the order, who nodded silently. They both knew she'd never ask for the rest of the day off, but the crowds were thinning so she wasn't needed. Kagome would speed past them with the bin filled with dishes and disappear into the kitchen to give them to the dishwasher, then return to collect the pitchers of soft drinks or tea and fill drink orders. By the time she had a moment to speak again, three plates were set before her mother, Inuyasha, and an empty seat to his left. She looked from the plate to her papa quizzically.

"You're never gonna ask, so I'm making you take the rest of the day off. Sit on down and eat. We both know it's been a while," he added with an accusatory stare.

Inuyasha looked at her as she scooted onto the stool. "You're skipping meals?"

"No, I just…forgot," she replied, feeling her cheeks burn. "Lunch hour got busy, so when I went on break, I ate a little."

"A pack of snack crackers is not a lunch."

"Papa!"

"Kagome!" he mock-teased. "It's just as much my fault; if I'd watched the clock better I'd have made her eat more on the break before the lunch rush, Michi." He knew his wife wouldn't be mad, these things just happened. "Where's Souta? He at one of his friends' houses?"

"Keiichi's going to take him over to Satoru's this evening to spend the night. Right now they're probably at the docks fishing."

"Does Souta like fishing?" Inuyasha asked. The little he had gotten to know the boy, sitting still didn't seem like his idea of fun.

Michiru giggled. "I don't think he has the patience for it, but he likes spending time with his grandpa."

As the parents began to talk with another customer at the counter, Kagome nudged Inuyasha's elbow with her own. "I'm sorry I wasn't home when you came by," she whispered. "I wasn't expecting it to get busy until the weekend."

"It's alright," he said. "I'm happy that I can see you, no matter where we're at."


	6. Chapter 6

_Two years later…_

Izayoi took no time at all getting comfortable on land again. Now that she had a reason to return to the island, each visit was filled with excitement that she hadn't felt in years. When she could, she'd convince Toga to come with her, but there were many visits that she made on her own. She didn't mind. Since the children were in school and Daisuke was working at the diner, it would only be her and Michiru. They took advantage of the silence in the house to get to know each other and share embarrassing stories about their families without the topic of discussion present.

She even convinced Inukimi to come up to meet Michiru. It was an…interesting…first meeting of Toga's first wife and her new friend, but in hindsight it probably wasn't very often that a current and former wife got along so well, for one to introduce the other to her friend. Michiru had been welcoming to Inukimi, already treating her like a longtime friend. Inukimi, who hadn't been landside for almost as long as Izayoi had been alive, was fascinated by the changes. She wasn't able to visit as frequently as Izayoi did, but she was delighted that Michiru always had a place for her when she did arrive on the doorstep.

* * *

"Something's different about you."

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Miroku and Shippo. "What are you talking about?"

The two under scrutiny shared a look. How could they explain what they've seen for the last four years? Possibly longer if they really thought about it, but the point was Inuyasha was different. Since his parents sent him landside to meet new people, they were shocked to hear that he'd made a friend upon his return hours later. It had taken him months to get on a civil discussion with Koga in the neighboring territory, and if Miroku and Shippo hadn't grown up with him they probably wouldn't be as close as they were. Inuyasha was notoriously stubborn, hard to get to know, and generally spoke without thinking, so this was a new record.

Especially when they learned it was a _girl_ he'd become friends with.

He'd told them all about Kagome upon his return, and since then, he hadn't been able to shut up about her. Not that this was a bad thing; both found it a blessing that Inuyasha had forged a friendship so quickly with someone he hadn't known since birth. But somewhere around the age of 13 is when they noticed Inuyasha acting differently when Kagome was brought up in conversation. His expression would change, and it was hard to decipher. At first they had assumed that something was wrong, to which he shot down that theory. They had known that Kagome had dealt with self-esteem issues concerning her weight and became concerned that she had done something drastic. Inuyasha became defensive so quickly it was almost like he was a different person. He spoke highly of the girl and proudly told them that she was working through it, describing – perhaps in more detail than he realized – how she had found a hobby to lift her spirits.

And from the detailed description they had been given, she had apparently been physically changing as well because of her hobby.

Friends don't usually talk about their friends the way Inuyasha did when he talked about Kagome dancing, but how were they supposed to point that out? Inuyasha was peculiar when it came to the subject of relationships. He'd get flustered and swim away in most cases. If they said anything that suggested something more intimate, they knew what would happen. He'd shut down and possibly not visit Kagome anymore, and neither one deserved that. Neither one knew what she looked like, so if he were to cease going up to the island, they'd have no way to find her and explain what had happened.

"Well?" Inuyasha pressed. "We came out here to do a job. I'd like to get this done and-"

"Go see Kagome again?" Shippo asked.

Inuyasha's cheeks turned pink. "N-no."

"Are you sure, Inuyasha? Your face looks a little red." Miroku swam closer to study his friend. "Could it be that you've been thinking about the lovely Kagome?" They had been sent out to clean near the piers so that the fishing boats that docked could do so without the fear of damage to the underside of the hulls. It was work that could have been delegated to other mermen, but Inuyasha had been going about the castle with nervous energy and volunteered the three of them to burn through it. When Inuyasha looked away, Miroku knew he was right. "There's nothing wrong with it, Inuyasha. From what you described, I can only imagine that Kagome is quite beautiful-"

"Yeah well you can keep imagining it," Inuyasha growled, turning back to the task. "Or better yet, don't."

"Gee Inuyasha, that almost sounds like you're jealous," Shippo commented.

"What do I have to be jealous over, runt?"

"First of all, I'm only two years younger than you. Second, you do know you're holding that piece of junk at Miroku like a weapon, right?"

Inuyasha blinked, his gaze following the arm that was pointed towards Miroku's chest, gripping a broken piece of metal like a staff. He chucked it away, muttering apologies. He hadn't realized that he had swung the metal towards Miroku at all. All he could think about was that Miroku had been talking about Kagome, and not in a way that he liked or appreciated.

"I think Shippo's point has been made," Miroku said slowly. "Years ago if I were to say…that…you wouldn't have batted an eye. Now…well, you saw." He shrugged, not offended that his friend had almost skewered him. "You're clearly thinking about Kagome differently, Inuyasha."

"I don't…I don't think I'm supposed to."

"Is it a problem if you do?" Miroku pushed. "Have her parents or your parents made any indication that they have issue with your friendship?"

"Huh? No, of course not. Our parents like each other-"

"Then why do you think that, Inuyasha?"

"Because Kagome's my friend, runt? Friends don't think about their friends like…"

"Like what?" Both asked, now incredibly curious. If Inuyasha was choosing his words instead of just blurting out what was on his mind, this was serious. He'd obviously been thinking about this for some time.

Inuyasha turned back around. "Look, it…it doesn't matter. Can we just finish this already?"

Miroku and Shippo shared a look again before returning to the cleanup. They weren't going to get an answer out of Inuyasha today, it seemed. "You know that it's not a bad thing to think these things," Miroku said after a few beats of silence. "The only bad thing is not knowing the other side of the thoughts you're contemplating."

* * *

Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi had noticed that Kagome had been changing dramatically over the years. When they were still kids, they couldn't get her to wear the outfits they did. Now, she was wearing more fitted clothes, cute tops, and easily blended in with the other girls their age. Of course, there were only two ways she would be spotted in such outfits; either with them or with that Inuyasha boy she had met on the beach. If they happened to cross paths when she was on her own, she'd be wearing baggy t-shirts and jeans or cutoffs.

Whatever this boy had said to her had done something to break Kagome out of her shell. They had never seen her act so open. She had gained confidence in herself – even if she only showed it when she was with her friends. At first they had thought that her dancing was a suggestion of Inuyasha's, but Kagome was firm when she told them that it was her decision. It was something she enjoyed and stuck with, and a small part of them couldn't help the tinge of jealousy at how much better shape she was in comparison.

"I still don't believe there's nothing going on with you two," Eri pouted, slouching in her desk chair. Normally they wouldn't have already been in the classroom before the first bell, but the drizzling rain made sitting outside less than desirable.

Kagome had been rewriting notes for science while her friends talked. When Eri chose to mention Inuyasha, her attention wasn't on the chemical equations anymore. "Sorry to disappoint, but that's the way it is."

Yuka looked down at Kagome's notes. "Kinda hard to bag a guy when your nose is always in the books."

"But she also dances," Eri pointed out, "I'll bet my favorite perfume she's danced for him-"

"Ooh, Kagome!" Yuka teased, laughing as the girl's cheeks turned red. "You've been dancing for Inuyasha?"

"It's nothing like what you're thinking!" she hissed, praying none of the other students heard them. There were still a few that liked to keep the "Chubby Bunny" nickname around to get a rise out of her, but for the most part the teasing from her childhood had all but stopped. Nowadays she flew under the radar, and rather liked it that way. She didn't need her friends starting rumors of something that wasn't even remotely true, because gossip could pass through the island like wildfire, and the last thing she needed was for Inuyasha to overhear it.

Ayumi had been surprisingly quiet the entire time, sitting and watching her friends with a forgotten book in hand. She thought back on what Kagome had told them about Inuyasha, as it was always fate that they were never able to meet face to face. Long black hair, dark eyes, tanned skin… she had her suspicions that Kagome wasn't being very specific when she first described him, but Ayumi was pretty sure that her friend had her reasons. It was something in the way that she lit up as she talked about Inuyasha that gave Ayumi the impression that even Kagome didn't realize she spoke about him differently. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Kagome," she said suddenly. "You know, if you like him." Before the others could comment, she pointed to the front of the classroom.

The teacher was coming in with a stack of papers, so the chairs were returned to their seats as the bell rang. The papers were dropped on the desk, and a few breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't a pop quiz. "Before we get started today, there's someone new joining us. I know that it is late in the year, but please help your new classmate make the adjustment smoothly. Would you like to introduce yourself?" The teacher motioned for someone outside the classroom to come inside, and a few students attempted to lean forward to get the first glimpse.

A girl with long brown hair pulled back in a high ponytail stepped into the classroom. Hands clasped in front of her, she nodded briefly to the class. "My name is Sango Kuwashima. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

* * *

"I heard she had to transfer because she beat up the guys at her last school."

"She looks strong."

"Well I had heard that the reason her family moved was more because she threatened her younger brother's teachers."

The whispers echoed across the cafeteria to Kagome, and she grit her teeth in frustration. Who were these people to make passing judgments about a new student? Then again, she had grown up on the island, and these were the same people that picked on her when they all started school. Of course things were dull, but that was no reason to ruin a first impression before it was made!

She turned and looked out across the cafeteria. From her place in line, she could see Sango sitting at a round table, alone. Kagome turned back and filled her tray, silently wishing the line would move faster.

"What's the matter Kagome?" Ayumi asked.

"Nothing…"

"Well where do you guys want to sit today? Since it's wet outside, the cafeteria's packed." Yuka looked put out by the weather; preferring to sit outside on the benches.

"I'm going to sit with Sango, if she'll let me," Kagome said quickly. Three sets of eyes turned on her. "What?"

"You want to eat lunch with the new girl?" Eri asked. "Haven't you heard-"

Kagome grunted. "I've heard _plenty_, and until Sango says it herself I'm going to choose to ignore the rumors. I remember what it was like to be the focus of that kind of scrutiny, and it's not any fun. She needs to know that not everybody at this school thinks that she's some kind of delinquent." She paid for her lunch and added, "You can come with me or not. It's your choice."

Each step she took closer to the table, Kagome began to feel a bit nervous. As she approached, she knew there was no backing out. Sango had seen her, pausing in her meal. She wasn't sure how much Sango had heard the other students whisper, so she wasn't sure if she'd even be welcomed, but she knew she had to try. "Hello," she said softly.

"Hello." Sango's gaze shifted just past her shoulder, and without turning Kagome knew that her friends had chosen to follow her lead.

"Is it okay if we sit with you?" Kagome pressed forward. "If you'd rather eat alone, that's fine-"

"No!" For a split-second Sango looked alarmed that they might leave. She'd heard more than Kagome imagined, and for the majority of the day she hadn't felt as welcomed as was expected from her peers. "I mean…please, sit." She gestured to the empty seats. "There's plenty of room here, and the company would be nice."

Kagome smiled, setting her tray next to Sango's and taking the open seat on her right. Ayumi sat on her left, while Eri and Yuka sat across from her. "I'm Kagome, and that's Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi," she said, pointing to each of her friends, who gave a nod or a wave. "We're in homeroom together."

Sango smiled for the first time that Kagome had seen, and she almost felt like she had been punched in the chest. _'I should have introduced myself sooner,'_ she thought. _'Who knows if anyone in our grade has had the decency to be nice to her.'_

* * *

Weeks passed, and before long Kagome was out on spring break, a period of time that Inuyasha considered almost as good as summer break. Aside from the weather being comfortable, Kagome was free from any and all school duties. No tests, no homework, and no studying, leaving her ample free time. Not that her having homework and tests to prepare for ever stopped him from visiting; he'd often spent those visits helping her review the material. It wasn't fun in the slightest, but he got to spend time with her, and that mattered more.

The first day of her mini vacation, he had appeared early in the morning, before breakfast had even been served. Michiru didn't mind, setting him a plate at the table next to Kagome and Souta. She'd heard from Izayoi that it might happen and apologized in advance for her son's behavior. Michiru found it sweet actually, and as they had gotten older, he'd tried to hide his eagerness to see Kagome. Every sound he heard upstairs had him looking towards the staircase, disappointment and a sigh each time it was Buyo that had made the noise. Then Michiru had done something that most mothers would have been against – she told him to go wake Kagome up. He'd hesitated, because there was a big difference being in her room when she was awake, but Michiru reminded him that she trusted him. He took off like a shot after that.

On the second day, Michiru let him in and told him to go ahead upstairs, returning to the kitchen to set a plate. Buyo may have been content to let Kagome sleep in during her break, but Inuyasha was not, and she got amusement out of hearing her daughter grumble. She wondered if this pattern would continue past spring break – it'd certainly keep her from running late to school!

By the third day, Kagome had come to expect Inuyasha to appear in her bedroom, shaking her awake. She'd put up a fight and dive under her pillow, until he jerked it and her blankets off to the foot of the bed. With no choice she had to get up and retreated to her bathroom to splash her face. She'd come back, and Inuyasha would be sitting on the edge of her bed, made for the day and saving her a chore. That part wasn't so bad, actually. He'd follow her back downstairs for breakfast, then back upstairs sometime later to critique her outfit for the day. If she tried to slide back to overly baggy clothes, he'd fuss at her until she caved. With both being so stubborn, it made for interesting arguments when neither was willing to concede easily.

He'd told her – quite smugly – that she had come too far over the years to fall into bad habits, and he wasn't about to let her do so without a fight. She'd worked damn hard for years to reach a point where she was happy with her appearance, and if he had to fight with her to show off that hard work with flattering clothes, then he was ready. He could still see that broken girl that day on the boardwalk, and it hurt him. He didn't want to see that look in her eyes ever again.

It had _absolutely nothing_ to do with how much she had changed since they met. Nothing whatsoever. The fact that Kagome was only comfortable wearing these clothes around him made him want to grin from ear to ear. There was a level of trust between them that she didn't have with the rest of the world, and he cherished it.

"…so it turns out that Sango is from the mainland. Her father and brother are still there, but she's transferred to the school to finish because there's an opportunity to intern lined up when she graduates. She doesn't know if her family is going to make the decision to move, or just commute to visit her…"

Then again…there were some perks to being one of the select few that Kagome chose to wear the fitted activewear around, and as she stretched in the yard, Inuyasha was starting to notice them. Or maybe he _had_ noticed, but it hadn't clicked in his mind until _then_ that Kagome wasn't the little girl he had met anymore.

Years of dancing had taken ahold of her form, creating long muscles in her legs that flexed as she bent forward, angling her top half towards one foot, then to the other. The stretchy black shorts barely concealed her bottom, and his eyes flicked upwards to see that she wasn't looking his way. He quietly thanked the heavens for that; last thing he needed was for her to think he was staring at her like there was something wrong with her.

There was _absolutely nothing_ wrong with her.

"Inuyasha?"

He blinked, realizing that he had been staring at the porch instead, and turned his gaze to Kagome, who was standing in front of him. Inuyasha swallowed, wracking his brain to recall what she said, but nothing was coming to mind. She was watching him expectantly, which meant that she had either asked a question, or assumed he'd have a comment about something she said. Unfortunately all he could focus on was the way the sleeveless top stretched across her front, hugging her curves quite well. A couple years ago she had mentioned feeling "lacking" because the other girls were more developed. He hadn't seen these other girls, but he had a feeling they would respond in kind standing next to her.

"Um…I'm sorry?" He flinched as his voice cracked. It wasn't doing it as much anymore, but there was still the odd moment.

"You okay?" Kagome reached forward and felt his forehead, unknowingly giving him a surprise view down her top. "If it's too hot out here, we can go in and get something cold to drink?"

Inuyasha felt his cheeks get hot as she moved to sit next to him on the porch, trying to block out that he had seen the edge of her light blue bra. _'Not now! I don't need this now!'_ He scolded himself. These weird feelings were happening more and more often, and now that Miroku and Shippo had even pointed it out…it's where his mind went to automatically. "I'm…fine," he said at last, "Sorry, Kagome. I've just had stuff on my mind."

She shrugged. "If you're sure. When I finished stretching and looked over, it was like you were in a different world entirely. Everything okay back home?"

"Oh. Yeah. Everything's good."

Kagome leaned back on her arms and studied him. "Something's definitely on your mind," she stated. "I wonder…is it a girl?"

He nearly choked. "W-what?!"

"Oh, so it is!" The grin Kagome wore looked downright devious then. "So what's her name? Does she live in your kingdom or a neighboring realm? Is she pretty? Do you like her?"

Inuyasha felt his head spin as she rattled off question after question. "H-hang on!" He grabbed her shoulders to stall her. "There's not any girl!"

"Your face says differently-"

"That doesn't mean anything!"

Kagome sighed, crossing her arms. She wasn't going to give up, based on her expression. He was screwed and he knew it.

"She's…a _friend_," he emphasized. "She doesn't live in the kingdom, but she does live nearby."

She leaned forward slightly, making Inuyasha lean back. "Go on. Is she pretty?"

He gulped. "…Yes. She's beautiful, but she doesn't think so."

Kagome's expression was knowing, and she nodded. "I get that," she mumbled. "Well…do you like her?"

"I…don't know?"

Inuyasha hadn't expected the groan. "How can you not _know_ if you like her?!"

He huffed, getting defensive, and his first thought to voice was, "Well, is there a guy _you_ like then, Ka-Go-Me?"

This time it was her turn to blush, and he couldn't help but admire how pretty her flushed cheeks looked. But that thought was short-lived when she nodded briefly, and his stomach dropped.

"Oh."

"You don't sound surprised, Inuyasha."

"D-Does he know? This guy?" Logically he shouldn't feel disappointed. But the thought that there could be another guy who could come along and steal her attention away was tough to accept.

"Ehm…no. Honestly I don't even know if he even sees me as anything remotely like that."

Kagome's dejected expression made him frown. "Then he's a fool," he said, taking her hand. "If this guy has half a mind, he should see that you're amazing, Kagome. And if he can't see that, then he doesn't deserve you."

The blush was back on her cheeks, and she was smiling shyly. "Thank you, Inuyasha. I hope that…if it turns out you do like that girl…that she returns your feelings. You're a wonderful guy, and if she needs to be told that, I'll volunteer to set her right."

* * *

Later that afternoon, as the sun was starting to sink beyond the horizon, Inuyasha stood with Kagome at the front door of her house. Usually she'd walk with him to the beach, but with it being later than normal, he didn't want her to have to walk back home alone in the dark.

Inuyasha didn't know what had come over him, but hesitantly he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek. He had half-expected her to move away, but he had no idea that she'd return the kiss with another shy smile. Neither had commented on the new parting, but secretly they hadn't minded either. It was different, yes, but not unpleasant.

As Inuyasha walked to the beach and Kagome returned to her bedroom, neither knew that the other was thinking the same thing.

Would that happen again?


	7. Chapter 7

_Two years later_

If there was one thing that Inuyasha didn't enjoy, it was being told the obvious.

When his older half-brother did it, it was a hundred times worse.

"You have lived to see nineteen summers since your birth, little brother. You have been considered an adult by our customs since last summer, and yet you have neglected to look for your mate."

Inuyasha crossed his arms, watching his brother slowly swim circles around him, scrutinizing him. "What of it? Maybe I've had better things to be spending my time doing?"

"Such as visiting that human on the island?" Sesshomaru questioned. "Don't look surprised, little brother. Our mothers do talk about all manner of things, if you will recall. Sometimes the topic features your exploits with the little human you're so fond of-"

"Will you shut up about Kagome!" He made to swing at his brother's head, but Sesshomaru easily evaded him. "Neither Mother nor the old man have said that they're going to force me into an arrangement, so why the hell does this concern your input?" It was the truth. Both Toga and Izayoi recognized that as an adult, it was ultimately his decision, but they did encourage him to "make his intentions known" when the time came.

Their mirroring smiles had made him uneasy, like they knew something he didn't.

It appeared Sesshomaru was the same.

"Not that it is any of my concern, but have you ever considered what your human woman does when you are not around?"

"W-what?"

Sesshomaru stopped in front of Inuyasha, watching him. He knew his brother could be dense, but this was not nearly as entertaining as he'd anticipated. While he was yet to meet this human girl, his confidants that had gone up to the island reported back much of what his own mother had said about Kagome. She had grown into a beautiful young woman, and it was apparent that his little brother had developed a level of infatuation with her without realizing it. Really, Inuyasha should be _thanking_ him for taking time out of his day to remind him that if he wanted to claim the human's hand, he'd have to get a move on or risk having another mortal steal her away.

"That human woman does have a life outside of your friendship," he stated. "If these new developments are really what our parents believe to be true, then you need to accept them and do something about them. It would be all too easy for a human man to pull her attention away from you, leaving you as nothing but a childhood memory."

Inuyasha didn't say anything, but the realization hit and it hit hard. He and Kagome were close friends, of course, but would that still hold true if some guy appeared and started to court her? What if the guy made her choose? Would she still view their friendship as more important than the relationship? As the thoughts proceeded to stack in his mind, a sour feeling built in his gut, and he didn't like it. Sesshomaru may have been trying to take a dig at him – older sibling instinct he said once – but he had also made a good point.

Without a word to his brother, he turned and swam towards the island shore. He didn't know what he was going to do when he got to Kagome's house, but he'd figure it out on the way there.

* * *

"Sango! Order up!"

"Excuse me, miss, could we get a refill of the tea?"

Kagome sped past her friend, who had paused to address the customer who had just called on her. "I'll take the order to table four, don't worry about it."

"But-" Sango felt a bit of guilt as her friend took on the task, but tried to remember what she had been told on her first day. If one of them was busy, Daisuke would call for the other to take out an order. If one of them happened to intercept, it wasn't a big deal, so long as the customer got their food. Still, she felt that she should be better at this, have it down to a routine. It had been a year and a half that she had worked at the diner, after all.

As Sango collected the pitcher of tea, she couldn't help but admire Kagome's ability to adapt to the next situation set before her. Sure, she might have helped at the diner for longer, but each day there would always be different customers who responded differently. Each day she'd come in and keep her composure with even the gruffest visitors, whether they tipped or not. Upset child at a table? She'd present coloring pages and a basket of crayons to occupy them. Finicky child that didn't want the crust on their toast? She'd cut it off right there.

After her first month of working at the diner part time, Sango had to ask her how she kept so calm on even the worst days. She had expected to learn that her new friend was doing some kind of meditation or yoga…not being told that there was a guy she spent time with that could brighten those dark moments. Kagome had told her all about Inuyasha, but there were things that Sango still didn't understand. How come he hadn't attended school with them? Was he working on the mainland? Perhaps the most confusing one of all was why they weren't dating. The way Kagome spoke about him, Sango could have sworn that they were an item. When she mentioned this to Eri, the girl had been too happy to share in her disappointment.

Now that she had known Kagome for almost two years, and it was the same story.

"_There's a girl he likes," Kagome replied as she wiped the table. The diner was closed, which was the perfect time for Sango to pester her friend with questions._

"_Okay, and this concerns you…how?" Sango straightened up with her own wash bin on her hip. "Does this girl know he's interested?"_

"_No. Inuyasha said so himself."_

"_Then what's stopping you?"_

_Kagome stood straight and fought to keep down a blush. She was failing badly. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sango."_

"_That's crap and you know it. You like Inuyasha, don't you? If this girl isn't giving him the time of day, what's to say that you can't ask him out?"_

"_It's not that simple," she muttered, picking up the wash bin and moving to wipe the next table down. "He's become my best friend. I don't even know how he'd react if I even told him that I liked him like that. I don't want to lose him, Sango."_

"_But if this other girl decides she wants him, you'll still lose him."_

"_Not his friendship." Kagome smiled, even though it didn't meet her eyes. "I don't know if I could bear it if I lost him completely. If Inuyasha does end up with this other girl…then I'm going to be happy for him. He deserves to be happy."_

_Sango watched as her friend resumed her task, frowning. She couldn't help but think that the happiness of one person shouldn't mean the unhappiness of another, especially if there was a chance that both could be happy. One of these days she was certain that she'd get to meet this Inuyasha, and if Kagome hadn't asked him out by then, then she was going to do something about it._

* * *

She was working at the diner more often since she finished high school.

Inuyasha knew that there would be times where her schedule wouldn't have as much opportunity to be with him, but a small part of him was feeling nostalgic about the days when they were both younger. He missed being able to go to her house and she'd be there, waiting for him. Now it was up to chance if she'd be home or filling in at the diner. Kagome enjoyed it, and if it made her happy, he wasn't about to let her know that at times he felt otherwise.

He knew that she'd be at the diner that day. Kagome had long since given him a schedule of what days she'd be there, so instead of stopping to see if she was home first he had just gone down to the diner first. Inuyasha had more or less become a regular in the little town, and aside from the occasional polite conversation, most left him to his business. That's what he expected when he took a seat at the far end of the counter when he arrived at the diner, but it wasn't what he got.

"Good morning, my name is Sango and I'll be you waitress today," a dark haired woman almost his height stood across the counter and looked at him expectantly. Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly when it clicked that this was the girl Kagome spoke of for the last few years. He cleared his throat and gave her his order, hoping that he hadn't appeared as a startled animal when she first spoke.

Sango scribbled his order down on a piece of paper, tore it from the pad and clipped it to the spindle for the cooks to collect. When she returned to him instead of moving on to another customer, he became nervous.

"You're Inuyasha." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"I…you…know me?"

"Kagome speaks about you a lot," Sango smiled gently. "And I kinda guessed it was you from your expression when I gave you my name." She leaned against the counter, resting her weight on her elbows. "It's nice to finally meet you, Inuyasha. It seems like we've just missed each other these last couple of years."

"Not by intention, I assure you." It really wasn't that he was trying to avoid Kagome's other friends. It's just that their timing was terrible.

Sango waved it off, stepping away to fix his drink and set it before him. "I get it. But as Kagome's friend I do have a couple questions that I wanna ask while she's occupied. First of all, Kagome tells me that there's a girl you like. Does she know you like her?"

Inuyasha tried not to choke as he took a sip. "N-no. She probably doesn't even realize that I like her." His voice cracked. "She doesn't think very highly of herself sometimes."

The young woman across the counter hummed softly as she tidied the area. "It's Kagome, isn't it." She was looking down at the counter and jumped when she heard a strange hacking noise. Inuyasha had swallowed his drink wrong, and was trying desperately to gain control of his breath. Sango slipped around the end of the counter and came to his side, patting him on the back.

"How..?"

Sango shrugged. "It took me only a month to see that Kagome had self-esteem issues when I transferred to her school. From what Yuka told me, she's improved since she was a kid, and that it's you we have to thank for that." When she was sure that he was fine, she returned to the other side of the counter to resume tidying. "How come you haven't told her?"

"She likes some guy."

'_Tell me he's joking.'_ "Does this guy happen to know that she likes him?" Sango's gut instinct knew before he shook his head. _'I can't believe these two…two _idiots_… like each other and think that the other is talking about someone else entirely.'_ She swallowed the urge to shake the hell out of him and said instead, "Then why not tell her? If she's unattached, there's nothing stopping you. Unless…you think she won't return your feelings?"

"Are you psychic or something?"

"No, but I think I read a book with this premise," she mumbled. Sango shook her head and smiled again. "You ought to think about telling her, Inuyasha. I know I only just met you, but Kagome's told me a lot about you so I feel like I've known you as long as her. I don't think she would react the way you might think she would." She left it at that, collecting her notepad and pen as more customers came into the diner and sat down at the window seats.

Inuyasha watched her leave, mulling over what she said. _'It's easy for her to say. She's not the one that wants-'_ His thoughts ground to a halt when he saw Kagome across the diner, and his breath hitched. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and she wore the diner's employee t-shirt with a pair of worn jeans. The shirt, he noticed, was pulled back into a knot at the small of her back, leaving a sliver of her toned stomach exposed. When had she started wearing her work shirt like that?

But then he noticed that he wasn't the only man to have noticed her glimpse of skin. One of the men at the table she was conversing with kept flicking his gaze downwards and back up. Aside from a growl that wanted to come from his throat, Inuyasha had a brief thought that perhaps this was the guy she said she liked, and his stomach turned sour. If that were the case…then he probably didn't have a chance. Not that there was anything spectacular about this guy. He had long black hair that was pulled back and blue eyes. There was also an arrogance that Inuyasha could see from the other side of the diner that he didn't like. _'If that is the guy, then Kagome doesn't deserve the time of day from him. He doesn't look at her like she's a human being.'_

Yet Kagome wasn't paying this particular guy the slightest attention. She was too busy speaking with the young woman across from him as she wrote in her notepad. When she did turn her attention to him, she didn't look like she had any sort of feelings for him, and that gave him an ounce of hope. She nodded and turned away from their table, coming to drop off the latest order for the cooks. He turned back in his seat, hoping that it didn't look like he had been openly gawking at her across the diner.

"Inuyasha!"

He jumped slightly, not expecting Kagome to have seen him at the end of the counter, but she had and was coming around to his side. Inuyasha stood up from the stool and caught her in a hug as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. It was all he could do to not show how smug he felt as she pressed herself tightly against him.

"It's so good to see you," she said, pulling back slightly with a smile. Kagome hadn't removed her arms from around his neck, and he wasn't in any hurry to let her go either. "I'll be getting off work early today, and I'm glad you're here cause I have _so much_ I want to tell you!"

"You can't tell me now?"

"Nuh uh," she shook her head, making her ponytail swish side to side. "It'd be easier to talk about when we get back to my house. Nothing bad, I swear," she added with a laugh to reassure him.

Kagome did have to step back from the hug, and it may have just been wishful thinking, but it seemed like she wasn't ready for it to end either. She told him that she'd only be another hour, maybe less if the new person came in early, and then they could leave. It was just as well, since his food was being set down in front of him by Daisuke, who only grinned at the pair. Inuyasha took his seat again and started to eat his meal. If Kagome's father didn't appear upset, then surely it was good news.

He just hoped it didn't have to do with "that guy" Kagome had talked about the last couple of years.

* * *

"You met him!?"

Sango held the phone away from her ear as the chorus of girls on the other end shrieked. Like Kagome, Sango was able to cut out of work early and opted to sit at home to relax. She dumped some frozen leftovers into the casserole dish and put it into the oven for dinner, deciding to give Ayumi a call to catch up. As luck would have it, Eri and Yuka had dropped by her house, so Sango was able to tell of her discoveries just once.

From the noise on the other end, she was starting to regret it.

"Yeah, earlier this afternoon he came in. He's a really nice guy-"

"Pictures, Sango!" Eri blurted out. "Did you get pictures?!"

The young woman sighed, biting her lip in thought. There _was_ one picture that she had gotten, when Kagome embraced Inuyasha, but she wasn't sure if she should say anything. Sango had taken the picture for Kagome, simply because their expressions were too sweet to not capture. Her friend had no idea the picture existed, but would it be right to share it with the girls first?

"I…have one, but Kagome doesn't know I have it. I wanted to surprise her with it-"

"We won't tell we promise!" Eri tried not to whine. "We just want to see what Inuyasha looks like!"

"What she said," Yuka added. "We're never around when he comes to see Kagome! I'm beginning to think she's keeping him from us deliberately!"

Sango laughed as she searched for her laptop. "The little I talked to Inuyasha today, I can safely say that that is not the case. Ayumi, I'm emailing the picture to you, but you have to swear on your favorite shoes that you three won't ruin the surprise for Kagome." She could hear murmurs of "sure sure" on the other end as she balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder.

Minutes passed and there was silence. So much so that Sango had begun to wonder if the girl had ended the call to check her email on her phone instead. Then she heard a few gasps, and she knew that Ayumi had opened the attachment.

"_That's_ Inuyasha?!" Eri asked.

"Oh wow," Yuka said.

"Kagome's a lucky girl," Ayumi said. "No wonder she's been so secretive about him. If I knew a guy that looked like that I would want to keep all the details to myself too!"

Sango closed her laptop and went to check the casserole dish in the oven, turning on the speakerphone as she set it on the counter. "Kagome says that they're just friends, guys."

"Yeah, friends don't hug like that." Eri said dryly.

"That's what she keeps telling me," Sango continued, lifting the lid and poking at the leftovers. Still frozen in the middle, so she cut some of it with the knife and covered the lid again. "Says that he's got a girl he fancies that's oblivious to his feelings. Just like Inuyasha says that Kagome has feelings for a guy who doesn't think she exists." She grunted as she pushed the casserole back onto the oven rack. "But you know what? I think these two idiots like each other and are too dense to see it."

Ayumi hummed in agreement. "Knowing Kagome as long as we have, that's entirely possible."

"Should we do something?" Eri asked.

"What can we do?" Sango asked in response, leaning against the counter edge. "If we try to confront them about this, they'll probably deny it all. This may be one of those things where we leave it be and see what happens."

She wasn't surprised by the groans of disappointment on the other end of the call. Sango agreed wholeheartedly.

* * *

"You're gonna stay for dinner, right?" Kagome asked as they entered her bedroom.

Inuyasha nodded. The entire time at the diner and on the way back to her house, his mind had been on nothing but whatever news she was so excited to tell him. She hadn't given any clues either, which only made him more anxious to know. Even though her parents never showed any signs of upset, he had to wonder if they were complacent with the news or just really good at hiding it if it _were_ bad. _'But Kagome said it wasn't bad news,'_ his mind tried to reason.

Kagome moved about her room, kicking off her shoes and tossing them into her closet, not noticing the troubled expression on her friend's face. When she had been given the offer over breakfast that morning, all she could think about was telling Inuyasha. Then he had come into the diner, and she had to stop herself from blurting it out right then. It wasn't meant to be public knowledge – at least not so soon anyway – and she wanted to give him the good news when they weren't surrounded by people. That way she'd know his response was genuine and not a front he tossed up because they had an audience. She turned as she closed her closet door, finally seeing the upset in Inuyasha's eyes. "Inuyasha?"

He blinked, realizing that he hadn't been doing a very good job at pretending to be alright, if her concerned look was anything to go by. He cleared his throat, trying to smile. "You said you had news you wanted to tell me?"

The girl walked up to him, watching him carefully, as if she could pinpoint what was bothering him. She let out a small huff in defeat, and he had to hide a smile at how cute it made her look. "You know how Grandpa moved out and got his own place years ago?"

He nodded. It had been just before Souta became old enough for his own room. Keiichi didn't think it right to make Kagome share her room with her little brother, given that she was a teenager then, so he had saved up and bought a decent home not far away. Inuyasha had helped the older man move boxes and furniture into the new place when Daisuke hadn't been able to take the day off. His old man had even come by to offer a hand when his mother and Inukimi went to visit Michiru.

"Well…Grandpa's arthritis has been getting worse," Kagome frowned, and he could tell that she was trying to avoid thinking about the old man getting older. "Mama and Papa have been talking with him about moving back in with us. He fell once, and we're worried that he might break something going up and downstairs."

"But isn't Souta in your grandpa's old room?"

Kagome's face brightened. "Yeah, but that's where the good news comes in! Grandpa offered me the house this morning!"

"Y-you're moving?"

"Yeah!" She grinned. "Of course there's still all the paperwork we have to do to make it official, and Souta would be taking my room probably, but isn't this amazing! Grandpa said he would rather it go to family than go through the headache of putting it on the market. Inuyasha? What's wrong? I thought you'd be excited about this."

Inuyasha tried to smile, but he was finding it hard to. For twelve years he had been able to come to this house and know that Kagome lived there. But now she was moving? Even if it was just down the street, there was just something…off about it. Was it because of this guy she liked? Was that why Keiichi had offered her the house? So they could have a place to live together…to do _things_? His stomach turned, and he didn't feel like he had much of an appetite anymore. But Kagome was looking at him and expecting an answer. He had to say something.

"Have you told that guy you like?"

Okay, maybe he shouldn't have said _that_.

Kagome's brow furrowed in confusion. "What guy?"

"That guy you like? The one you told me about two years ago."

Her eyes widened, surprised he remembered that. "Why would that make a difference?"

"Because you like him." _'And I thought that you'd want to tell him that you'd have privacy.'_

She shook her head. "Not that it matters, but I did bring it up. He seemed…indifferent to my news, so I don't think it matters. What I want to know is what _you_ think, Inuyasha!"

He shrugged half heartedly. "If it makes you happy, Kagome, then I'm happy for you. I'll help you move your things whenever you're ready, just let me know."

Kagome's gaze flicked downward, but she smiled again. "Thank you, Inuyasha." She looked back up at him. "You could always come over and visit, of course," she added. "There's multiple bedrooms, so we could fix up a room for you…if you, you know…wanted to stay over?" Was she blushing? She certainly hoped not. There was nothing suggestive about her question, but somehow the idea of Inuyasha spending the night in a house alone with her sent her heart racing.

"You…mean that?" Inuyasha was so preoccupied with the thought that Kagome wasn't writing him out of her life with this news that he missed any implications about staying over. "And that guy…there's nothing going on?"

"No. Oh-!" She gasped, a sudden thought struck her. "What about that girl you like? Have you told her? I don't want her to think that there's something behind you staying over if-"

In a move that was possibly one of his craziest decisions made in a split second, Inuyasha reached up to cradle Kagome's face in his hands, bending to capture her lips with his. The kiss was brief, but it had shut her up as he pulled away. It was probably a mistake, but it was a _wonderful_ mistake.

"You…you… kissed me," she said in a breathless whisper. Kagome had to resist reaching up to touch her own lips, as if that would confirm that she wasn't dreaming. Inuyasha had kissed her. Her.

Inuyasha's hands still cupped her face, and he watched in fascination as she processed what had happened. He'd expected her to pull away, to scream and be angry, but she was stunned. A light blush crept across her cheeks as she watched him, and he sighed. "And I want to do it again," he replied, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "If that's okay?"

Kagome's hands reached up to take fistfuls of his shirt as she took a step closer. "But what about that girl you like?"

"And I'm asking if she wants me to kiss her again." His lips quirked as it dawned on her that he meant _her_. "Since that guy you like has missed his chance."

Kagome's blush deepened. "Are you sure about that?" she countered, slipping her arms around his neck. "Because he just kissed me and wants to do it again…and I'm not about to stop him."

They both tried not to laugh at the absurdity of their admission. For two years they had harbored feelings for the other, thinking that they were one-sided. As Inuyasha leaned down to kiss Kagome again, he knew that her news earlier was indeed good news. She sighed into the kiss as his arms circled her waist and held her to him.

Better than she realized. It was probably the best news he had heard in a long time.

* * *

**A/N: There you go! It only took 12 years between these two idiots for something substantial to happen, but it finally did. **


	8. Chapter 8

_One month later_…

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather do this shopping with the girls?" Michiru looked through the clothing racks, pushing hangers to the side and making noncommittal noises at each design. "Not even Sango?"

Kagome poked her head up from the other side of the clothes rack. "You know what they're like, Mama. If I even so much as mentioned why I'm at the store they'd take it the wrong way."

Michiru couldn't argue that logic. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were notorious for being nosy, but she knew that they only had Kagome's interests at heart. Still, the thought that her daughter chose to ask her over her friends to come clothes shopping made her smile. It had been a while since they had done anything, just the two of them, and it warmed her heart to know that Kagome wasn't "too old" to be seen around town with her mother. "Can I ask why we're looking around at swimsuits?"

"Um…" The clicking of the hangers stopped, and seconds later Kagome came around to her mother's side, blushing. "Inuyasha was talking about going swimming in the ocean this summer, and I…"

She didn't have to finish the sentence. Michiru nodded with a smile. Kagome was taking a big step, selecting a bathing suit, when she hadn't bought one since before puberty. She wanted to get something nice, that she'd be comfortable in if she chose to remove her covering. "I understand," she whispered, so as not to draw attention of anyone nearby. "We'll find something, I'm sure."

Kagome smiled shyly, blush still in place. This was why she had asked her mother. Her friends wouldn't have understood her thoughts as she sifted through the choices, but her mother had been there from the get-go. She had listened to Kagome cry in frustration in the beginning, shared in her triumphs as she progressed. It was only right that she be the one to help her find the perfect bathing suit after so much hard work.

Or maybe keeping her from chickening out was more appropriate.

The idea of buying a bathing suit now was both tempting and horrifying, because a small part of her still felt that she wouldn't look good in it. There were days where even going to the diner made her feel self-conscious. It was also those days where she'd remember that Inuyasha would say she was perfect. She didn't see how, but it must have been something if the kisses were anything to go by. They had been "together" for almost a full month now. Another reason she wanted some alone time with her mother.

"Mama," she started, clearing her throat. "I've got something I need to tell you."

"Oh?" Michiru returned the one piece she was looking at to the rack. The uneasy look on her daughter's face made her ask, "Is it that you and Inuyasha are a couple now?"

"Wh- How did you know?"

"Dear, we all knew it was only a matter of time before you two realized you cared about the other." Michiru laughed at her daughter's gaping expression. "And if it makes you feel any better I might have seen you two kiss goodnight the other week."

"So…who all knows?"

"Your father and I do, as well as Toga and Izayoi. There's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Now that we have that settled, let's move on to more important matters. Are you looking at buying a one piece or a two piece?"

* * *

It had only been a month since Inuyasha had his first kiss with Kagome, and all he could think about most days would be when the next would happen.

It had been the day after that Miroku and Shippo had discovered this development, and within the hour of learning, both had to dodge Inuyasha's attempts to shut them up about it. He should have known that he couldn't keep it a secret for long. He had just wanted time to really let it sink in that she had kissed him back, that _he_ was the guy she was interested in for the past couple years.

"And where are you off to?"

Inuyasha turned to see Miroku and Shippo swim up to him. "Where do you two think? To see Kagome."

"It was more fun teasing you when you denied it," Shippo frowned. Since he had admitted that he liked Kagome, it became more of a challenge to get a rise out of Inuyasha. Not that Miroku was one to back down from a challenge. He knew which buttons to push, and when to push them.

"When do we get to meet the lovely lady?" Miroku asked.

"Depends. Got anything planned today?" Inuyasha huffed at the incredulous stares. "You two are just as capable of meeting Kagome. She's got some stuff going on today that I'm going to help with, so if you two want to come along…" He didn't bother to wait for a response before he turned around to swim to shore. Either they'd follow him, or they wouldn't.

* * *

Keiichi watched his granddaughter put pen to paper and sign her name where required. "Are you sure that you're alright with this, Kagome?" he asked. "I don't want you to feel like I'm kicking you out because I'm getting old."

"Don't be silly, Grandpa. I love that house, and I'd rather you be comfortable _because_ you're concerned about your health." Kagome smiled, sliding the stack of papers across the table to him. "If you want, we can think of it as me house-sitting for you."

He chuckled, tapping the papers neatly into a stack and sliding them in their folder. "I'll run these down to the office later today. But for now," he got up and walked around the table to her, placing a pair of housekeys in her hand. "You are the unofficial owner of your first house, Kagome."

Kagome hopped up and hugged her grandpa. "Thank you so much, Grandpa! You won't regret this!"

"I know I won't," he smiled, patting her hand. "You decorate it how you want. It's furnished, for the most part, but don't hang on to anything you don't like because of me. I was intending on putting that house in my will, but I hadn't anticipated that my old bones would do what they do." He neglected to mention that it would have been _her_ he bequeathed the house to anyway, as there wasn't much point. His body wasn't as strong as he felt most days, and it had taken one stumble to make his decision easy. "So," he cleared his throat, "When's that boy coming round today?"

"I don't know what you mean, Grandpa-"

"Don't try and pull the wool over my eyes, Kagome. I know that Inuyasha has been hanging around you more now than ever."

Kagome bowed her head, feeling guilty. "I was gonna bring it up soon…"

Keiichi scoffed. He wasn't upset. "You think you're the first? Your parents were dating for twice as long before they officially said anything to me, and I knew after three weeks! Your grandpa knows these things. It's how I knew that your mother's family had rejected her before she even brought it up. I might not be able to catch fish like the best of them, but I can tell when someone in my family has something they want to say."

"So…you're not mad?"

"Of course not, child! I'll admit that my granddaughter dating a merman is odd, but he's a good young man. He makes you happy. That's what's important." A sudden knocking at the door caught both of their attention. "And dollars to donuts that's him."

Kagome hadn't paid her grandpa much mind as she sprinted to the door. She knew it was Inuyasha even before she reached for the doorknob; he had said that he would come help her and Grandpa move the bulk of his things to the house today. What she hadn't expected was seeing two guys standing behind him looking around curiously.

"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha started, jerking a thumb behind him, "I hope you don't mind these two coming along with us today. Miroku and Shippo have been talking about wanting to meet you."

"And it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," the slightly taller one said, taking her hand in his. "I'm Miroku-"

"And I'm Shippo!" The auburn-haired one piped up with a wave. "Inuyasha's said so much about you!"

Kagome dared a glance at Inuyasha, who looked embarrassed by Shippo's admission. "It's nice to meet both of you as well. Inuyasha's spoke highly of both of you." She turned call back into the house. "Grandpa, Inuyasha's here!"

A few minutes later, Keiichi appeared at the door beside Kagome, nodding to Inuyasha. "I see you brought some extra hands with you today," he said. "That'll make this go a lot faster."

As everyone was ushered out of the doorway and onto the porch, Shippo had to ask Inuyasha, "What does he mean?"

"Oh, I didn't say?" He had a hard time suppressing the grin that threatened to form. "Kagome's grandpa is moving into her parent's house, and Kagome's going to be living in his old house from now on. He's got the stuff packed. I told him I'd help him and Kagome get everything moved." The gasp of outrage from the younger one almost made him snort as he walked alongside Kagome to the old man's truck.

"You tricked us!" Shippo hissed.

"No I didn't," he looked over his shoulder at the frowning boy. "Both of you wanted to come along today. You never asked what it was I was helping Kagome with, so don't get bent out of shape."

* * *

_One week later…_

Sango shifted the greasy paper bag from her right hand to her left, wiping her palm on her jeans before knocking on the door. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were a step behind her on the porch, looking around at the house that Kagome had been given. It was the first time that they were all able to get a free day to come visit Kagome, and they wanted to do it proper with a housewarming gift and some greasy fast food from the diner. Sango knew she was busy unpacking and rearranging; since she moved the bulk of her things, they'd both been working longer hours and crashed each evening. She could hear talking from deeper in the house, along with the shuffling. Who could Kagome be talking to? Her parents were busy, her grandpa was unpacking himself, and Souta avoided chores whenever possible. Unless…

The door opened to reveal Inuyasha, dressed in a tank and shorts with his hair pulled back into a messy bun.

Inuyasha blinked before giving them a smile and calling over his shoulder. "Kagome, it's the girls!" He stepped back to let them in with a jerk of his head. "Been a while, Sango."

"So it has," she grinned. Sango couldn't put her finger on it, but something was different, and it had nothing to do with the new house. It wasn't until Kagome came into view did she ask, "Sooo…what's going on you two?"

For a split-second Kagome's face shifted, and Sango knew _something_ was definitely going on. There was a telltale blush she fought down as she took the offered food and led them into the kitchen. "Isn't it obvious? Inuyasha's helping me get the house in order-" A trio of squeals cut her off, spinning on her heel.

"NO WONDER YOU'VE BEEN HIDING HIM FROM US!"

Kagome looked to Inuyasha, horrified at her friend's outburst. "No one's been hiding anyone from anyone," she bit out. "It's not like he's been avoiding you three; he does have other things to do you know-"

Eri fake coughed into her hand, and Kagome was certain she heard "you" somewhere in there. She chose to ignore it. If she took the bait, they'd never cut them any slack.

Inuyasha tried to save face, having heard what the short haired woman had muttered. That was something to be examined at a later time, and not while under the scrutiny of her other childhood friends. "I'm sorry it took us this long to meet," he told them. "Like I told Sango, it seemed that fate was not on our side until recently."

Ayumi shook her head. "It's alright. Kagome's told us so much about you through the years it feels like we should know each other just as if we had hung out. Now, let's eat. We stopped and got some food from the diner for lunch. Your dad said you hadn't come by today, so we figured you hadn't eaten."

* * *

It was late in the evening when Kagome was able to get her friends to head home. After lunch they had insisted on helping unpack, or at the very least getting the boxes sorted into the right rooms to be rifled through later. As much as she wished she could have avoided the judging eyes and raised brows, they still discovered that the guest room across from hers was Inuyasha's. She had feared that Eri would be the one to make a comment, but to her surprise the girl was quiet on the matter. Then again, with how comfortable Inuyasha seemed to be in the house, it probably wasn't a surprise at all to them.

"_Honestly I thought you two would be sharing a room, but whatever," Eri had whispered, hugging Kagome goodbye on the porch._

They were barely a couple for a month, and one of her longtime friends just assumed that they'd be further involved than they were. Yuka wasn't any better, having mouthed "get it girl" behind Inuyasha earlier in the day, and she'd had to play off the strangled noise she made once she deciphered the lip reading. At least Ayumi was giving them a break. She'd simply smile, delighted that one of her friends was happy.

And she was. Kagome was extremely happy.

So why was she standing awkwardly in her own house? Right, because it was late and her boyfriend was standing about three feet away from her, and her thoughts were a mix of "get it girl" and "sharing a room".

Inuyasha mistook her stance for being tired as she rubbed her temples. "Is there anything else you want to move tonight?"

"Hmm? Oh…no, I think we took care of the bulk of it. Why do you ask, Inuyasha?"

He motioned to the door. "I was going to go and let you get some rest. I know you have work tomorrow."

Kagome blurted out "No!" before she could help it. "I mean," she stuttered, "you don't have to go, if you don't want to."

Inuyasha looked startled as she fumbled over her words. He knew what she was referring to, but everything in his being was conflicted, having grown up used to merfolk customs. It was an innocent invitation, but most of his people would have been appalled that she had offered at all as an unwed maiden. "It…wouldn't bother you?"

"Of course not! I did suggest it a month ago," she rambled, twisting her hands together. "And it's not like we're sleeping in the same bed- not that that would bother me- I mean-" Was her face getting hot? Oh god, did he think she was being presumptuous about them? Was it being presumptuous to think about their future so soon?

Her flushed cheeks and the rapid-fire stream of consciousness that she was blurting out was both adorable to him and managed to ease his mind. She was just as nervous as he was. Inuyasha closed the gap between them and grabbed her hands, covering them with his larger ones and squeezing gently. "Take a breath," he whispered, fighting the urge to laugh. Inuyasha pressed his forehead against hers, waiting until she was calmer before he continued. "We don't have to do anything neither one of us is ready for. If it will make you feel better, I'd be happy to spend the night."

Kagome let out a breath again, feeling her shoulders relax. "It's just…I don't want to screw up, you know? I don't know what I'm doing. I don't…want to leave you wanting…you know…_more_."

This time he felt his cheeks heat up, and Inuyasha was thankful that it was dark outside. He knew exactly what Kagome meant, and honestly? The thoughts were there, but they sent his mind into a panic if he pulled that thread too much. He swallowed. "I don't know what I'm doing either, you know. We'll figure this out together. We just gotta…talk…and stuff. So we know what the other wants and we're not walking on eggshells around each other."

"I'd like that, Inuyasha."

A "good" rumbled from his chest as he ushered her upstairs to her room. On the way to the staircase he'd glanced at the clock and knew that if Kagome didn't go to bed soon, she wouldn't get enough rest before she had to go to work. Unfortunately – perhaps out of habit more than anything – he had nearly followed her into her new bedroom, only to catch himself and quickly turn to the left to go into his room. It was sparsely furnished, but it was apparent that it was his. Kagome hadn't wanted to make any décor decisions for him, so she'd made sure he had furniture that would hold him until they worked out how he wanted his room to look. They'd spent some of the time through the week getting him clothes to have on hand in his room so he wasn't limited by the chests of clothes tucked away on the shoreline. He pulled on some sleep pants, opting to go shirtless.

Inuyasha was undoing the hair tie and shaking his hair loose when he heard a knock on the doorframe of his room. Kagome was standing there, changed into her pajamas. "I came to make sure that you had everything you needed before I turned in."

"I think so," he replied.

Kagome fidgeted before stepping into the room and walking towards him. "I guess I should let you get some rest," she murmured, feeling a blush rise across her cheeks. It hadn't escaped her notice that he was only in pants, but she tried to pretend it did as she stood on her tip toes to kiss him softly. "Well, goodnight Inuyasha."

She had taken two steps back when he had grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him. "What's this?" he asked, not expecting an answer. Inuyasha leaned down and returned the kiss, lingering just long enough to hear the whimper of delight come from the woman in his arms. "Goodnight, Kagome," he smiled at her dazed look. As he watched her slowly walk out of the room, he couldn't help but think that maybe spending more nights here wasn't such a bad idea.

Hell with the customs; they weren't in the sea anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

_One month later…_

"We should meet more often," Izayoi smiled into her drink. "It doesn't feel like we get together as much lately."

"I imagine you both have busier lives than me," Michiru countered. "Any time I get to spend with either of you is fine with me."

Inukimi leaned forward on the table with her elbows. "Things in the sea aren't as busy as you might expect, Michiru. We do have obligations, yes, but I think as our children have gotten older, there is less and less need to be present."

"Both of your sons are being delegated to take on Toga's responsibilities?" Michiru frowned at the thought. Kagome had seemed so happy this last month, but if Inuyasha was required to take on more, that would likely pull him away from her. She couldn't imagine the reactions that would bring.

Izayoi shook her head quickly. "Oh no! Toga will continue to lead our realm, but with things such as foreign relations and the like, Sesshomaru has been the one to take on those tasks. Inuyasha…"

"He doesn't care for the superficial floundering," Inukimi grinned. She knew Izayoi couldn't – or wouldn't – find the right words to describe her son's preference for his standing in merfolk society. "In short, he's more comfortable not being acknowledged as having rank over his friends, and would rather spend his time doing something constructive."

"There, that's it. Thank you Inukimi."

Michiru laughed. This was nice, being able to have breakfast with her friends. Keiichi had taken Souta out fishing and Daisuke was taking on an extra shift at the diner because one of the cooks had to leave for a family emergency. And since Kagome had her own house now, the house was pretty empty. She knew her daughter was still getting settled, finding ways to make the house hers, and with the peak of tourism on the island, she had a feeling that most nights were unproductive. She recalled the early days of her marriage and how neither she nor Daisuke had the energy to unpack boxes after long days at work.

"What do you think about Inuyasha spending so much time with Kagome, Izayoi?" she asked suddenly. "With everything happening lately I should have asked sooner…"

Inukimi turned her gaze towards the other woman. "Yes, I'm quite curious to hear this as well."

"Inuyasha is an adult," Izayoi shrugged. "I can't keep him from doing anything. I do feel that it's strange that he's spent some nights in an unwed maiden's home, but I also know that things are different now on the island. Kagome was the one that offered him the invitation, and if I've learned anything about your daughter Michiru, it's that she doesn't do anything without a lot of thought."

"He's a good boy," Michiru smiled. "I trust him."

"Now that that's settled," Inukimi lifted her cup to her lips, blowing on the steam of the coffee to cool it. "When do you two suppose that we'll be hearing about a wedding?" At the sputtering and laughter, she frowned. "What's your problem? Surely you two have thought about this?"

"I'm sorry, have you met my son?" Izayoi wiped the stray tear that had fallen down her cheek from laughing so hard. "It took him years to figure out he liked Kagome! I'll have hair as white as Toga's by the time he even plucks up the courage!"

Inukimi looked to Michiru, who shrugged. "Kagome's just as bad," she replied. "I know there's still times that she falls back into her old thoughts. Just the other week when we were talking she told me that she's still amazed that Inuyasha likes her."

"That's a bother," Inukimi pouted. "Both of your children are a piece of work, I hope you know." Of course that went without saying, but she couldn't help but feel slighted on behalf of the two mothers. It was obvious that was the direction the pair were headed in. Why they couldn't get past this weird phase and move to the next was frustrating.

It had been too long since they had had a celebration, in her opinion.

* * *

"Kagome…have you met Inuyasha's friends, Miroku and Shippo?" Sango and Kagome were the only two waitresses on call since lunch, which didn't leave much time to really talk until one or the other went on break. Now that the diner had closed for the day, they could speak more freely as they cleaned the last of the tables.

"I've spoken to them a couple times," Kagome said carefully. She had to be mindful of their secret after all. Since their first meeting, she had talked with them only a handful of times, but she'd heard from Inuyasha that they frequented the diner. Miroku more often than Shippo, and suddenly she knew why. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering what you thought of them, that's all."

"You mean Miroku," Kagome bit her lip to hide the grin. She knew Shippo was a few years younger than Inuyasha, but she had a feeling Miroku was roughly their age.

Sango crossed her arms and stared out the window. "It's nothing like that," she insisted. "I was only asking about his character. Is he a good person-"

"Alright, alright." Kagome slid into the opposite side of the booth Sango sat in, setting the wash basin on the table between them. "From what Inuyasha's told me, Miroku has done a lot of work with his family. He's very nice, and though Inuyasha wouldn't say it out loud, I get the feeling he's a loyal friend."

"That doesn't sound so bad. Why wouldn't he say it?"

Kagome shrugged. "Maybe Miroku's the kind of guy who won't let you hear the end of it?" She stood up and collected the bin, ready to be done and go home. "I also know that he's single. Just putting it out there," she added with a laugh.

Ten minutes later, Sango's car was pulling out of the parking lot. She'd insisted that she give Kagome a ride home, since they'd spent the day on their feet, and she didn't like the idea of her friend biking home after dark. _'At least not without Inuyasha being with her.'_ "So what's the deal with you two?" she asked, not needing to elaborate on who. "Are you two living together now, or is this some randomized sleepover schedule?"

"That…okay first of all – why is this the first thing you ask?"

"Okay how about this – have you gotten him in your bed yet? Have you two played doctor? Find the surprise in the Cracker Jack boxers-"

"Oh. My. God." Kagome groaned, hiding her face. "You've spent too much time around Eri."

"Well if you'd answer the question I wouldn't find new ways to ask it." Sango glanced sideways to see Kagome's face a brilliant shade of pink.

"No, we have not done anything but kiss. Between our work, moving, and unpacking, there's not been a lot of time to really think about anything else." Might as well plough on and tell her everything. "Inuyasha stays over, mostly when it's too late to head home. I've told him that he's welcome to stay whenever; that's why he has his own room. Since he's doing more work in the area, it only made sense to-"

"To…what?"

"N-nothing."

"No – what were you about to say, Kagome?"

"To…get a copy of the house keys made for him," she said in a rush. Somehow, saying it out loud sounded a lot more serious than it really was, but maybe it was because she was telling her friend instead of her mother. Michiru had even suggested it once she got settled in. Inuyasha had been surprised, but Kagome knew that that little gesture meant a lot to him.

Sango's eyebrows rose, but she deigned to comment. If it had been her, the whole idea seemed kind of soon, but she was an outsider looking in on the situation. They had been a couple for only a few months at best, yet she knew that they had seen each other at their best and worst growing up, so it didn't seem weird to Kagome to take that step. _'I wouldn't be surprised if they _did_ do something soon. The tourist season is winding down. Kagome won't have to pull double shifts, and I don't know what Inuyasha does, but I can't see him staying busy all the time…'_

As soon as the car pulled to a stop in the driveway, Kagome got out and pulled her bike from the back seat. "Thanks for the ride, Sango. I'm gonna have to see about getting me a car now, I think," she laughed.

"Unless Inuyasha comes and gets you every night," Sango pointed out. "It's no problem, by the way. If you want to look around once things get settled, just let me know and I'll take you to the place where I got this one."

Kagome waved at her friend once more as the car backed out. She knew that since she was farther away from the diner, the bike wasn't as practical. _'For now, it'll do,'_ she thought, pushing it into the shed behind the house. A car wouldn't be a bad idea. When she lived with her parents, it wasn't necessary because she was within walking distance from most everything. There also wasn't the room for an additional car unless it was parked on the curb, and she thought there was a law against that. Or maybe they were talking about making it one?

She walked into the back door, feeling too lazy to go around to the front of the house. The lights were on, so she knew Inuyasha was over. _'Maybe I ought to start thinking of this place as his too,'_ she wondered, walking through the hallway and turning to go upstairs. _'Would that be weird? Too soon? I have no idea anymore…'_

They had been friends since she was seven years old. They admitted that they liked the other when they were nineteen. A couple months after that he was spending the night at her new house. Kagome knew that there was supposed to be an order these things were done in that was socially acceptable, but part of her really didn't care. Having Inuyasha stay over had been a comfort at first, because she wasn't sure if she'd have been able to sleep alone in a new house. Just knowing that he was there with her – even in another room – made her feel better. He hadn't minded either, she'd learned the first morning after. He said he'd been startled at first, not remembering where he was, but then he had seen her in the kitchen making breakfast. Thinking about that kiss good morning still left her feeling breathless.

Kagome walked into her room and tossed her purse on her bed, peeling her work t-shirt off and tossing it into the hamper. Next came her jeans and socks, leaving her standing in her room in just her bra and panties. She pulled the hair tie loose, shaking her head and sighing at the relief as her hair fell down her back. It was late, but she felt like a quick shower was in order. Kagome rolled her shoulders as she wandered around her room, picking up things she would need. _'I wonder why I haven't heard anything from Inuyasha. Maybe he's taking a nap?'_ She hadn't seen him in the kitchen as she walked through, and if he'd seen her as she went upstairs he would have said something. She shrugged it off, grabbing a towel and her favorite body wash.

As nice as the house was, there was one downside to the two-story, and that was the one full bathroom upstairs. There was a half bath downstairs, and it was on Kagome's future to-do list of things to take care of. It was horribly cramped, and she felt like it would be better to expand it and make it a full bathroom.

In her musings, Kagome never considered that Inuyasha may have also had the same idea of a quick shower. There had been no water running when she went upstairs, so she hadn't considered it, but when he stepped out of the bathroom in just a towel it clicked. Kagome squealed, dropping her body wash and clean clothes as she tried to unfold her towel and cover herself. Inuyasha had jumped at her squealing, too lost in thought to notice she was in the hallway. The towel around his waist loosened and would have dropped to the floor as well if he hadn't been quick enough.

"Sorry! Sorry!" she yelped, turning her back to Inuyasha and trying to hold the towel closed. _'Note to self – get bigger towels! Or a bathrobe! Probably two would be better-'_

"Why are you apologizing? I'm the one that left his clothes in his room," Inuyasha felt like he should have been red from head to foot in that moment. He hadn't heard Kagome come home and thought that since she had taken her bike it would have been a little later. "When did you get in?"

"Ten minutes ago, I think," Kagome replied, staring at her feet. "Sango gave me a ride home cause she didn't like the idea of me biking home in the dark."

"Oh," Inuyasha said. "Right. Sorry, I-"

"Wait, why are you apologizing, Inuyasha?" Kagome turned around again to look at him, forgetting that he was only wearing a towel. She let out an "eep" and blushed again, looking in any direction in the hallway but at him.

"I could have come and got you so you wouldn't have been alone. If I hadn't been distracted I would have realized how late you would be getting out today." He started to slowly move towards his room as he talked, gripping the towel with one hand. How could she not see what he was getting at? "Sango's going to be getting home even later now because I couldn't be bothered to pick up my girlfriend when she's working late."

At that, her eyes met his. Inuyasha now stood next to her in front of their bedroom doors. She couldn't deny that she got a little thrill when he called her _his_ girlfriend. In other company it came naturally, but when they were alone, it wasn't something often said. It wasn't needed. But when he did say it… Kagome's lips curved upwards into a smile. "You've been busy, and it's not getting dark especially early right now. I doubt I'm going to have to work this late very often."

"But-"

"And if I do," she cut him off with a kiss on the cheek. "I'll let you know and you can be my knightly escort home, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded, trying and failing to ignore the fact that his girlfriend was pressed against him in her underwear, and the only thing he had between them was a towel that wouldn't stay put no matter how much he twisted it into a knot. "S-sure. There uh… There should still be hot water for your shower…" Maybe his voice went a pinch higher but he was pretending it didn't happen. There were at least two other matters of concern at that moment, and if she didn't move away soon there'd be a third.

Kagome straightened and stepped back, blushing again. She mumbled her thanks and dashed down the hallway. As soon as the bathroom door shut with a click, Inuyasha let out a relived sigh and went in his room. _'That was too close.'_ He frowned, letting the towel drop from his hips. The culprit of his frustration stood proud, basically mocking him for his lack of control. _'If Kagome had any idea she'd be through with me for certain.'_ He knew they had mentioned _more_ back when she first settled into the house and left it at that. But it had only been a few weeks since that talk – if she found out that _that_ had been on his mind even now…

Inuyasha shook his head to clear his thoughts. Kagome didn't need to know that he'd been having dreams about her. Or them. Or how detailed some of those dreams tended to be. Hell no. He'd be damned if he was going to pressure her or try to sway her decision because his smaller brain was giving him ideas.

* * *

_Two weeks later_

As Kagome had predicted, the double shifts weren't very frequent. Tourism was still filling the diner most days, but it was the return of some staff that helped ease the workload. What she hadn't seen coming was Inuyasha coming to get her, even on the days where she hadn't worked late. Her coworkers, Sango especially, loved to tease her about it, but she knew it was all in fun. The women often lamented that they wished their husbands or boyfriends were as attentive as Inuyasha was with her.

That afternoon he'd come to the diner, and when she finished her shift, they'd started back to the house on their bikes. The clouds had been gray all week, and halfway home they had chosen to open up. It had been hard to peddle in the rain, but even harder to steer as they shook from laughing at the misfortune.

Kagome stood under the cover of the back porch, wringing out her hair as Inuyasha closed the shed. She couldn't help but admire how he moved sometimes, and the way the rain plastered his clothes to him was a delightful bonus. He grinned at her as he stepped on the porch, peeling off his shirt and began to twist the water from it.

He'd given her _that look_ again, and she couldn't figure out what it meant. Ever since that night in the hall, there was this particular way he'd look at her that made Kagome's stomach do flips. Oh, she knew what she _wanted_ that look to mean, but that didn't mean she was right. Because as much as she stumbled over her words that first night he stayed over, how could she ever tell him that she'd been thinking about wanting more between them?

She was probably being stupid. Scratch that – she _knew_ she was being stupid. They had agreed to talk with each other about these things. Why was getting up the nerve to talk about these things so difficult? As she took in the sight of his toned chest, she knew the answer to that question too. She was afraid he'd think her inadequate. Another stupid thought to have, but the only mermaids she'd ever met had been Izayoi and Inukimi. Were there higher expectations among the merfolk? Could she even begin to measure up?

Inuyasha knew she was staring, but he could also tell that she was lost in thought. Maybe it was wrong, but he took advantage of her unfocused stare to watch her in turn. Kagome had wrung most of the water from her hair, and it had begun to curl slightly around her shoulders. Her work shirt had become sheer from the downpour, giving him a glimpse of the underwire bra. He bit back a groan, tamping down the idea of suggesting helping her get out of her wet clothes. She hadn't noticed his near slip-up, but if they stood there much longer he was afraid of what he might do. Already he was stepping forward and bending to kiss her. He couldn't help it, nor the groan in his throat as Kagome pressed herself against him. His hands dropped to her waist as the kiss became more heated. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and she leaned into him. Inuyasha wanted to pull her closer, wanted to feel more. Everything about this felt so right, from the way she clung to him to the way her tongue brushed against his. Why was that small voice in his head screaming at him to stop?

A sudden crack of thunder jerked the couple out of their moment, reminding them that it wasn't the best idea to be kissing outside in a storm. Even under a covered porch. They may have been sheltered from the rain, but the cool wind that came next made the young woman in his arms shiver involuntarily. "We should get inside," he swallowed thickly. "Don't want you catching a cold."

"Y-yeah," she breathed, stepping back quickly. Kagome couldn't believe that she had let herself get carried away like that. At least all the times before they had been inside when the kisses turned passionate, but there was something different this time. If the storm hadn't gotten louder, would she have wanted to stop? As Inuyasha opened the door for her, she ducked under his arm and went inside. That was an answer she wasn't ready to think about.

Neither spoke again on the matter, heading to their rooms to change into dry clothes. As they made dinner together, they would sneak glances at the other when they weren't looking. Still, they said nothing. It was a comfortable silence though, filled with small touches and shy smiles. They both knew that something had changed between them on the porch, and maybe it had been a change in the making without their realizing. It wasn't bad, per se, but neither of them could figure out how to speak up about it.

As it turned out, it was Kagome who made the first move, blurting it out abruptly over dinner. They had _just_ sat down at the table with their plates. Neither had taken a bite, and then –

"I love you."

Inuyasha's fork stalled halfway between his plate and his mouth. He'd heard right, right? He must have, because Kagome was blushing profusely and fumbling to explain herself. At the moment she was trying to apologize and tell him that she shouldn't have said that so suddenly, but he wasn't going to let her take it back.

"I love you too, Kagome."

"I…w-what?" She couldn't believe her ears. He'd said it too. Kagome was pretty sure she was grinning like an idiot, but so was he. It wasn't how she intended to tell him, and she sure as hell hadn't wanted to blurt it out. Oh god, had she screamed it at him from across the table? She wasn't sure anymore. He'd looked so startled at first she may as well have. She had simply looked across the table at him as she sat down and before she knew it the words were out. She'd dared to hope that they were on the same page, and now she knew for certain.

Weird how admitting that you were in love with your best friend and learning he returned those feelings had taken a lot of weight off the mind.

* * *

"Kagome! Kagome! Wake up!"

She felt herself being shaken as she woke up, struggling to get her eyes to focus. "Inu…yasha?" She squinted at the clock on her bedside table. 3:30 am. "What's wrong?" She could barely see him in the dark, save for the small amount of moonlight that filtered in through her half-drawn curtains.

"You don't remember? Jeez, Kagome – you were _screaming_ for me. Were you having a nightmare?"

As her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, the dream had come back to her full force. It was about as far from a nightmare as one could be, and she dearly hoped that she hadn't said anything out loud aside from Inuyasha's name. Kagome was very thankful that he hadn't thought to turn the light on when he came in, because the more she thought about that dream the more she was positive she was blushing all the way to her toes. "Uh…I'm not…sure exactly?"

"Well whatever it was didn't get you, did it?" Inuyasha perched on the edge of her bed, and she couldn't help but notice that he was only in boxers.

"No," she said, trying not to sound disappointed. The dream hadn't gotten _that_ far, but he had certainly been doing something to make her scream. "Sorry I woke you up, Inuyasha."

He shrugged it off. "As long as you're okay."

Kagome sighed, looking at the clock again. She wasn't ready to get up this early in the day, but she did have the day off from work, so sleeping in a little longer than normal couldn't hurt. "Hey," she said softly, looking down at her hands, "Will you…stay with me? For a bit?" She was hoping he'd interpret that as an excuse because of the "dream" and not an excuse just to have him near in just his boxers. Of course not. She wasn't some high-strung teenager. Wait –

"Are you sure?"

"Uh huh." It wasn't like they hadn't fallen asleep next to each other on the couch before. How would sleeping next to each other in the same bed be any different? Kagome felt the mattress shift as Inuyasha slid under the covers, and she moved back to give him some room. She hadn't gotten far before he threw an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"That wasn't a nightmare you had, was it?" He felt her stiffen and had to bite the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't laugh. Inuyasha knew good and well that scream he heard wasn't one of terror. It did make him wonder what it was in her dream that made her call his name like _that_ though.

'_No way. There's no way he knows!'_ "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do," he grinned, pulling her closer. He could feel her breath come out in puffs against his collarbone, but she wouldn't look at him.

"I'm pretty sure I'd know if it wasn't a nightmare, Inuyasha," she replied, hoping he'd let the matter drop because it was too early to bullshit her way out of this mess.

Luckily for her he did just that. "Alright then," he conceded, amused at her response. "Good thing I'm here to protect you from those nightmares…" He propped his upper body on his elbow and leaned over her, noting that her breath hitched the closer he got.

"Inuyasha?"

"Mmhm?"

"Wh…" Kagome wanted to ask what he was doing, but the words died on her lips when she saw _that_ look again. In the next moment, his lips were against hers and she forgot why she had wanted to ask in the first place. The kiss was gentle, carefully exploring, but…that wasn't what she needed. Not right then, anyway. Kagome wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss.

Inuyasha groaned as he felt her lips part to grant him access. This wasn't supposed to be happening. All he meant was to kiss her goodnight, not instigate a heated lip lock. But then if he had only meant for it to be innocent, why was his hand caressing her hip? That same hand was now moving her baggy t-shirt up, discovering a nearly bare hip underneath, save for the thin strip of cotton underwear. _'Fuck. This isn't good. It _is_ good but…it's not good. We shouldn't…fuck-!'_ He let out a deeper groan as his thumb traced the edge of the elastic, and she had pushed against him.

She wasn't pushing him away. She was trying to get closer.

Kagome had felt the bed shift again as Inuyasha moved above her, only breaking the kiss to leave a trail along her jawline to just beneath her ear. He nipped the skin with his teeth and she squirmed, making him chuckle into her neck. He'd learned years ago she was ticklish there, and now he knew that he could get a whole new kind of response out of her. She let out a gasp as she felt his tongue lave the spot before resuming with nips and kisses.

"You like that?" he asked, unsure if he was doing something she might not like.

"Very," she breathed out in a sigh, arching up into him when he did it again. Kagome wasn't satisfied though. Inuyasha was still putting distance between them, and she knew it was because he didn't want to hurt her, but her body was screaming to be close to him. This just wouldn't do. She was vaguely aware of her legs moving to either side of his hips, bending at the knee before her lower body raised up into his.

Inuyasha let out a strangled noise, not expecting to feel her press against him _there_ of all places, and on reflex he ground back against her, pushing her into the mattress when her legs dropped her. She let out a sound that was like music to his ears, but even in his haze-covered brain he was asking if she was alright.

"I'm wonderful," she grinned, curling one of her legs around his hip. Kagome knew without a doubt that he was enjoying this as much as she was.

"And you…you…liked that?" All the blood had left his brain at this point, but Inuyasha waited for her answer, ready to move if she said no. He didn't think she would, given her response to him unintentionally grinding himself into her like that. Still, he wasn't going to keep doing it if she changed her mind.

Kagome shifted underneath him, running her hands down his back. When had he gotten so muscular? How had she not noticed this? Her fingers softly traced the dip in his back, feeling the muscles shift under her touch as they moved to the waistband of his boxers. She bit her lip, not breaking eye contact with him as her hands slipped underneath the fabric and cupped his rear, pulling him against her again. She let out a giggle at the groan that she got from Inuyasha with it. His expression had gone from strained to euphoric as he rocked against her. "What do you think?" she teased.

"That's…how you wanna be, huh." Inuyasha braced his weight on one arm while the other reached down to hold her hip as he ground against her. He had no idea what he was doing, but it felt good and she agreed. Of course he _knew_ where this was headed, but not having any experience like this meant he was asking her if she liked what he did with each new angle or touch. The hand on her hip moved to pull that leg around his waist as he rolled his hips into her, trying not to whimper as he felt her heat even better now. It just felt _so damn good_ that he didn't want to stop now.

"Yes," she said breathlessly. "Inuyasha…"

His hand on her thigh had moved upwards to her hip again, reaching the t-shirt that had started to bunch up and began to push it upwards. Kagome's hands were moving, tracing his back, sides, and occasionally dipping underneath his boxers again. Inuyasha leaned down and caught her in another kiss, unable to contain the moans as they rocked against each other. His hand continued to push the t-shirt up, and he could feel her bare stomach press along his each time she arched upwards. His fingertips felt something softer than the t-shirt, and his brain was just about to acknowledge what it was when she broke the kiss.

"Phone…"

"…What?"

Dazed, they both looked to the bedside table where her cellphone sat, its screen lit up.


	10. Chapter 10

"Phone…"

"…What?"

Kagome couldn't understand why her clock's alarm was blaring at her when it wasn't set to go off for another two hours. It had been hard to focus on the sound with the way Inuyasha's hips rocked into hers, but eventually it had dawned on her that it was her phone. Above her, he groaned in annoyance.

"Leave it," he whispered huskily, leaning down to nibble along her neck, grinding against her again. "They'll call back later."

She moaned, arching up into him. God, it was tempting to just fling the phone across the room and say to hell with it. Then again, if she did that she'd have to get another one, and that was a headache she didn't want to deal with. "It'll stop if I answer it," she told him, blindly reaching for the phone. Kagome shivered as he nipped her neck in reprimand, but she was moving on autopilot as she held the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Kagome! I'm sorry baby girl, I didn't want to wake you, but we have a problem –"

"Papa?" She blinked, hearing the stressed tone. "What's wrong?"

Inuyasha went stiff as a board above her. Aside from a long string of swears, his thoughts were screaming "don't move!" because sure as hell the bed would make a noise and the man on the other end would _just know_. Her father would _just know_ that he was in Kagome's room, in her bed, and that his intentions wee anything but innocent. That terrifying thought should have been enough to calm his lower half down.

It should have. He was surprised to find that he was still aching for…something. Anything at this point. He wasn't picky.

"I know it's your day off, but we need your help down at the diner. Kino's had to go to the mainland because his daughter's appendix nearly burst and they've got her in surgery right now. Yusuke just called me and said that the new hires won't be showing up so now we have no waitstaff to open. I hate to ask you and Sango to come in, but I don't know what else to do –"

"Papa, it's okay –" Kagome attempted to sit up and knocked into Inuyasha without thinking. She looked up and realized they were nose to nose now. "We'll be okay –"

"I know that, but it isn't right," he continued. Since Kagome hadn't moved back, Inuyasha could clearly hear the older man berate the new employee's lack of consideration. He knew he should really move, but he couldn't bring himself to. The view, even under the circumstances, was too nice to back away from. Though if he were being honest, he'd like to get ahold of those no-shows and make them regret having Daisuke call at such an ungodly hour. His ears tuned into the last of the call to hear "We're going to talk more when you girls arrive. Sango said that she'll be by to pick you up."

Minutes later Kagome ended the call and offered him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about that."

"Why are you apologizing, 'Gome? It's not your fault." And he had nearly convinced her to ignore the call. If anyone should apologize, he was more at fault for that. Though the new employees that Sango and Kagome had to fill in for really set the bar today, and the sun hadn't even risen yet.

"I know," she sighed. "It was supposed to be my day off too…"

Inuyasha chuckled at the pout in her voice. "There'll be other days." He wasn't sure if he meant her day off of something else. He wasn't even sure if what had happened earlier would happen again. _He_ wanted it to, obviously, but that wasn't enough for him to go on.

"I guess," she agreed. Her legs had dropped from his waist when she attempted to sit up, pulling the blankets off them in the process. Kagome had noticed that the clock on her phone's screen read 4:18. _'Guess time really does fly when you're having fun.'_ The moonlight still shone brightly in the window, just enough for her to take in the state of her boyfriend.

Inuyasha's hair was a mess. His cheeks were slightly flushed. As her gaze moved downwards she realized in their earlier activities she'd begun to push his boxer briefs down his hips, and…_oh_.

She turned bright red as she looked up again. _'Oh god – he saw me looking at it!'_ "S-sorry. I didn't mean to – I mean I did but –" Kagome let out a noise of frustration before trying again. "C-can I… uh… can I… _do_…anything?" she asked, quickly pointing downward, because she as not about to get caught looking again.

Inuyasha couldn't stop the blush that covered his face and down his neck at her question. "D-don't worry about it," he replied quickly, jerking his boxers up over his ass once more. He sat back on his heels and cleared his throat. Oh he had a response for her question, but it wasn't the time for him to say that, or any of the suggestions his mind was conjuring up.

"I feel bad though. Are you sure?"

"T-trust me," he mumbled. "If you h-helped… I don't think you'd make it to work today." _'If I let her…I don't think we'd leave this room period.'_ No, it was better this way despite what his manhood felt. There was no passion-filled haze to cloud their minds, and they needed to talk before that happened.

Kagome felt her cheeks warm at his words. She knew he was right, but that didn't make the situation any better. He wasn't rejecting her; he didn't think his "problem" was priority. "Maybe next time?" she said, hoping that she wasn't coming on too strong.

"I – I – uh…y-yeah!" Inuyasha blushed harder when he realized he'd blurted that out far too quickly. At least his eager response made her giggle, so it wasn't a complete mess. The fact that she'd anticipated a future time where it could happen again gave him hope. "You should go take a quick shower to wake up. I'll start breakfast."

"You don't have to do that, Inuyasha."

"I want to, and it'll give me something else to focus on. Besides, you need to eat before you go to work." _'Right now I need any distraction I can get,'_ he thought as he looked at her. She sat there before him, a leg on either side of his, in just a rumpled baggy t-shirt and cotton panties. With her hair a mess and the kiss-swollen lips, it was an image he'd recall later when he took an ice-cold shower. Inuyasha let out a breath and moved off the bed first, holding out a hand for Kagome to take.

She got off the bed with a slight wobble, and he wanted to pretend that it was just coming out of sleep that had done it. Kagome smiled shyly at him as she collected some clothes. He had to swallow a groan. He was sorely tempted to go track down the no-shows and make them work so she wouldn't have to leave. It was selfish to want to keep her there with him knowing that her father was in a tight spot, and as soon as she disappeared into the bathroom he ran into his bedroom and searched for a pair of pants. Once he found them and got them on, he'd hoped that his issue would have started to go down, but no luck. As Inuyasha hobbled downstairs to the kitchen, he was deeply considering getting a sandwich bag and filling it with ice cubes and cramming that in the waistband of his jeans for some kind of relief.

Twenty minutes later Kagome had come downstairs and was met with freshly made coffee, bacon, eggs, and toast. Considering what had happened earlier, the kiss she gave him probably wasn't the best way to thank Inuyasha, but he didn't seem to mind. If he hadn't pulled back when he had, her food would have gone cold, and he wanted to make sure she ate before Sango arrived.

* * *

The driver glanced over at her passenger each chance she could get, chewing her lip in thought. When Sango had arrived at Kagome's house, she couldn't help but think that there was more to her friend's annoyance than having to work on her day off. It was weird, actually. Inuyasha had stayed over – no surprise there – and had been cleaning up breakfast when she walked in. He had fixed both of them a cup of coffee in to-go cups before they left, and not once did Sango see or hear anything that would suggest that they'd had a fight. In fact, the smile Kagome gave him before she left spoke volumes. She was anything but mad at him…wait.

"Did you two have sex?" she blurted out.

Kagome had been taking a sip of her coffee and choked at the question. Once she could stop coughing, she turned in her seat. "What in the world made you think that?!"

"You looked irritated!"

"And your mind went to sex!?"

Sango shrugged. "I don't know!" They were at a stoplight, so she looked over at Kagome and stared. "Well…did you? Was he bad? Tell me it ain't so Kagome!"

"Not…exactly." She dearly hoped that her red cheeks could be mistaken for the coughing fit and not recalling what she had nearly done.

"Then did he…" She gestured vaguely with her hand as the light changed to green. "You know…" Sango couldn't think of a nice way to describe what she wanted to ask, much less so early in the day.

Fortunately Kagome got the gist. "No – no! He didn't do _that_!" Then she realized her mistake when Sango's expression turned downright giddy.

"Oh, so something _did_ happen!"

Kagome sighed. "Yeah."

"So tell me!" Sango bounced in her seat. "If we gotta be up this early give me the goods! I won't tell a soul!"

"There's not much to tell," Kagome shrugged, taking another drink from her cup. "Inuyasha woke me up. Said I was screaming for him – it was a…uh…one of _those_ dreams – and I asked him if he'd stay with me a little while longer." She flicked her thumbnail against the plastic lid, making a ticking sound. "He got in bed with me….and he kissed me."

"You two have kissed tons of times-"

"Not like this," Kagome sighed. "It was different. We were…" Now she was making gestures with her hands, but they were so indiscernible that Sango's blank stare made her groan in frustration. "He was doing things! Good things! Very good things!"

"Oh." Sango's eyebrows rose considerably. She hadn't been specific, but the way she said 'very good things' led her to believe that it must have been. She glanced quickly at her friend, who was back to a brilliant shade of red. "So you two didn't have sex, and he didn't do _that. _I won't ask if you did _that_ cause your face says no. Did you two get naked at least?"

"Uh…not quite."

"Not quite? What the hell does that mean?"

"It means I was in a t-shirt and panties and he was in boxers," Kagome said quickly. "Well, he was kinda in boxers. I may have…started pushing them down."

Sango's brows nearly escaped into her hairline. "Oh, naughty girl!" she teased, grinning. "Did you see it?"

"What- _no_!"

"Did you touch it at least?"

"_Sango_!"

"What?"

"No! I didn't touch it!" Kagome looked down at her hands, amazed the blush didn't reach her fingertips. "I felt it when he…rubbed against me."

Sango made a noise of disappointment. "You were both clothed, and you didn't get to see the prize in the cracker jack boxers. Wait – you _felt_ it? Well…"

"Well, what?"

"How big was it?"

"Sango! I swear to god –"

"I'm asking the important questions, Kagome! The world has a right to know!"

"Yeah, well the 'world' best stay in the privacy of this car!" Kagome sighed, rolling her eyes. At least it wasn't one of the other girls she was talking to. They would have been relentless. Sango, to her credit, had a sense of humor about the conversation. "He was…impressive."

"Like biology textbook diagram impressive-"

Kagome snorted. "He puts those diagrams to shame."

Sango looked forward, mouthing "wow" as she made a left turn across the four-way intersection. Once she was past the turn, she glanced over at her friend again. "Did you get to touch anything? Kagome?" Why had she gone silent all of a sudden?

"I…touched his butt," she mumbled. "A few times. It was firm. And wonderful." Her coffee cup sat in the cup rest as her hands were occupied covering her face.

She couldn't help but snort at how Kagome was acting. Sure she hadn't known her as long as the other girls had, but she had learned quickly in high school that Kagome was the only one out of the group that had never dated. To see the nineteen-year-old so flustered could have been seen as pathetic by people who had more experience with relationships, but it made sense. Not only was Inuyasha the first boyfriend Kagome had ever had, but he had been a big part of her life before that. Sango was happy for her friend and wanted the best for her, but she had to know. "Okay, in all seriousness, I do have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"With what happened…or rather didn't happen…is sex with Inuyasha something you've considered before?"

There was no pause, no hesitation in Kagome's voice when she said "Yes."

Sango pulled into the diner parking lot, hating that they were already at work. This was a conversation she felt could go on for hours if they'd had the opportunity. "That's a hell of a quick answer." There was no accusatory tone in her statement. She was just surprised.

"Yeah, I know." Kagome reached for her cup, finishing the contents. It was lukewarm by now anyway. "I've been thinking about it for a while now. I think… I think the dreams may have started even earlier than before we became a couple, so…" She trailed off, shrugging.

"If you hadn't gotten the phone call, do you think you would have done it? Would you have been ready for that?"

Kagome couldn't hide the blush. "Yeah, I think I would have." She shook her head, grabbed her purse, and exited the car. There would be time to think about that later. Right now she had to go fill in for some no-show newbie waitstaff. The very thought should have made her blood boil. At the very least it gave her a good boost of angry energy to feed off of for a few hours.

* * *

Inuyasha thought he was being a responsible son by checking in with his family. See how things are going, were there any tasks he was needed for that he wasn't aware of, things like that. Since he had been staying with Kagome more and more often, it only made sense.

Somehow his visit had turned into an interrogation.

"How's Kagome doing, sweetheart?" Izayoi asked with a knowing smile.

"She's…fine?" He knew that his parents had been landside recently. Hell, both families had all gone out to eat not three days ago!

"Has she gotten settled into her new home?"

Inuyasha looked to his father, whose grin wasn't helping matters at all. "Yeah. She got everything unpacked. She mentioned looking for some new furniture but with work she hasn't had much time."

"Are you sure she got everything unpacked?" Touga chuckled, winking at Izayoi. "Seems to me that there's something in her house that's still under wraps."

"What?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about? I helped Kagome unpack her things-"

Izayoi clapped her hands together. "Oh! Does this mean that we can have a ceremony now? Of course it would be out of order, but the times have changed. I doubt anyone would even raise an eyebrow over it-"

"Mother," he ground out. "What are you talking about?"

"The binding ceremony, of course!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "W-what?!"

"You said that you helped Kagome unpack all of her things," his mother explained. "Naturally we took that to mean that you and she-"

"Mother!"

Touga let out a bark of laughter at the horrified expression on his youngest son's face. "Let's not tease the boy, Iza. I think you have your answer anyway." Inuyasha had gone a few shades paler than he naturally was to blushing almost down to his tail as her meaning set in.

"That's a shame. I was looking forward to planning a new binding ceremony."

"Kagome and I haven't even talked about _that_!"

"Have you thought about it?" Touga asked.

Inuyasha shifted. "I…want to build up some savings before I even consider talking about it with Kagome. I want to have something that shows that I can provide for her, if she'll have me." Their relationship was still new, fresh. Inuyasha had a feeling that if he threw question like that at her it'd most likely terrify her. They were barely considered adults. For him, the question was a no-brainer. Of course _he'd_ want to commit to her. He loved her. He knew she loved him. What he wasn't sure about was if she was ready to discuss the future. Too many things had happened with moving and getting settled; it didn't seem like the time to bring it up.

Izayoi smiled warmly, all teasing gone in her voice. "I can't imagine why she wouldn't, sweetheart. She is wonderful, and you both compliment each other so well."

"How are you accumulating these savings?" his father asked. "I do have connections on the island that would be willing to work with you-"

"Yeah, I met a few of them. Said they recognized Touga's boy," Inuyasha shrugged. "I'd hoped I could earn work on my own merit, not be known only as your son."

"From the things I've heard, being my son is only mentioned in passing during introductions." Touga had heard from one of his connections the day before, passing in the compliments of how Inuyasha took initiative. His son was a hard worker and made ever effort to get the job done and done well. Nothing about being his father had anything to do with those results.

Inuyasha frowned. "Then why did you ask me if you already knew?"

Touga shrugged. "I can't talk with my son about what's going on in his life?"

"Seems a bit redundant if you already know!"

"Not true! We weren't aware that you haven't bedded Kagome-"

"_Mother_!"

Izayoi got too much enjoyment out of teasing her son. Using his lack of intimacy in his relationship as the base of her jokes could have been seen as lowbrow humor to some. Then again she had always been considered the "black sheep" of her family, but Touga loved her sense of humor. And finding out how high Inuyasha's voice could go was a fun bonus. His mother wasn't supposed to speak of such things, apparently.

* * *

Kagome didn't come home from work until that evening.

She was exhausted and extremely pissed off. Her father had been even more furious the longer the day went with no sign from the waitstaff that Sango and herself were filling in for. The only silver lining to the day was that both girls would pocket the extra tips and the day's salary the others missed out on. As she trudged up the steps of her porch, she let out a sigh. While she was glad to be home, she was also hungry as hell, and as much as she loved the diner she had been around the food enough for a day. She didn't really want to eat it for supper. But it was so late, and she was so tired, she wasn't certain if she had the energy to even muster making a sandwich.

The door opened easily, which didn't surprise her. Inuyasha was home and- Kagome froze in place as the door clicked shut behind her. _'When did I start thinking of my home as his?'_ she wondered. She had no idea, but the longer she thought about it, the more natural it felt. She had given him a copy of the house key, so he could come over if she wasn't there – if it had been one of the girls, she'd have left the key in a hidden place.

"_If you hadn't gotten the phone call, do you think you would have done it? Would you have been ready for that?"_

Sango's words from that morning seemed to slam to the forefront of her thoughts. Kagome chewed her lip, letting her purse slip off her shoulder and into her hand. _'I still think the answer is yes,'_ she thought, walking into the dining room. _'But who knows. What if we never get a chance like that again? Would Inuyasha want to-'_

"Kagome, you're back!"

"Inuyasha?" She dropped the purse onto the dining room table, surprised to find Inuyasha in the kitchen with oven mitts. "I thought… what are you doing up so late?"

"Waiting for you," he replied, bending to reach into the oven. When he stood, he held a large pizza up. "Sango sent me a message and told me that you had both gotten off of work. Did she head home?"

"Um, yeah. Said she was more tired than hungry." Kagome frowned as she watched him begin to cut the pizza. "You waited for me? Inuyasha, you didn't have to-"

Inuyasha gave her a look. "I'm not about to let you come home and cook something when you've been on your feet all day." He set down the knife and started to head towards the cabinets that held the plates when Kagome pushed him into the counter. The kiss was hurried and desperate, but he wasn't about to complain. He hadn't seen her since early that morning, and if she wanted a kiss, she was going to get one.

When she stepped back, Kagome was smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I just… you don't know how much that means to me, Inuyasha."

"I think I got a good idea," he grinned, perhaps a little bit stupid. Then he frowned as he realized just _how_ late it was. "How come you were there all day? I thought you'd only be filling in for the morning shift?"

"Those people never came in." Kagome went on to describe how the day went at the diner. There was an influx of customers after a few days of relative calmness and adding that to the growing ire of her father had both girls taking on the afternoon shifts as extra hands. When she tried to tell Inuyasha that there were some benefits to the extra hours, he didn't seem as enthused.

"That don't matter!" he all but growled as he brought plates over and placed a couple slices on each. "You two can't run the entire floor all day! I don't know who the hell these mainlanders think they are, but crap like that doesn't fly here! It damn sure wouldn't in the sea-"

Kagome stepped behind Inuyasha and wrapped her arms around his waist. As soon as she touched him, the tenseness in his body melted away. "It's late, Inu," she mumbled into his back. "Papa'll deal with them when they do come in, and you know they'll come in thinking they're gonna get a paycheck. How about we eat? I'm hungry, and I know you have to be if you waited for me."

* * *

Instead of sitting down at the dining table to eat, Inuyasha had ushered Kagome into the living room with the scent of the plates. The chairs were comfortable enough, but you couldn't put your feet up and eat in them. He'd collected the pillows from around the living room and arranged them to make the couch extra plush as they enjoyed their pizza and watched the recorded tv shows on the DVR. The pizza Inuyasha had made had been wonderful. The recorded shows were alright – a bit lacking with the longer-running shows, but that seemed to be a trend. However, all of that was forgotten when Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's ankles and plopped her legs across his lap.

The moan she let out when he began to rub her feet might have sounded indecent, but he'd hit a good spot in the arch of her foot! She could have melted right there on the couch.

Inuyasha chuckled as he watched her head fall back against the mountain of pillows. "That feel good?"

"Mmmm. So good," she sighed. Without thinking it through, she said, "You know how some people say that food can be better than sex? They clearly haven't had a good foot rub."

He let out a bark of laughter. "Considering that I've never had sex I can't say one way or the other. But I'd think that they're doing something wrong if the food is better-" His hands stilled as it occurred to him that he'd just admitted to being a virgin. Of course Kagome _knew_, but it was another thing to _say_ it out loud. Inuyasha couldn't hide his blush as he resumed the massage. He glanced her way and learned that he wasn't alone.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome didn't want the massage to end, but this weird switch in conversation needed to be addressed. She sat up, leaning on her arms. "About this morning…w-what are you-?!"

He'd grasped her under the knees and pulled her towards him. Now her but was pressed against the outside of his thigh, her backrest of pillows was gone, and he had a firm grip on her legs just above the knee. Kagome was pretty sure she had a wedgie, but she was too distracted by his hands to care.

"What about it?" Inuyasha asked, using his thumbs to rub circles into her legs.

"I – mmm – stop distracting me!" she all but whimpered as his hands moved upward a bit. Kagome debated reaching for the pillows or just laying back across the cushions but opted for leaning against the back. She needed to talk about this before she lost her nerve, and he had no intention of stopping the massage.

Not that she'd want him to.

Inuyasha didn't move his hands up again, but he wanted to. Really wanted to. "You can tell me anything, Kagome," he said gently. "If I went too far, or if you regret what happened, I –"

"No!" Kagome cut him off. "No, I…I don't regret _anything_ about this morning. Well, except for the phone call. But with you… no, I don't think anything went too far."

"Kagome…" His heartbeat picked up. A small part of him had been worried that maybe he'd influenced her, that she wasn't ready for that, but to hear this…

"Inuyasha… if… if the phone hadn't rung… do you think…"

He swallowed thickly. So she had been thinking about it too, it seemed. "Would you… want to do that? With me?" Inuyasha wasn't stupid. He knew that she could have her choice of any man. The thought sickened him that there was a chance he could lose her, but he didn't want her to regret any decision she made.

"Yes," she replied, blushing. "I can't imagine doing _that_ with anyone else." Kagome looked Inuyasha in the eye as she added, "I trust you."

Inuyasha couldn't have stopped the smile that crossed his face if he tried. He knew she loved him but putting her trust in him…he didn't think he could love her more. Perhaps that fear of losing her was just overthinking on his part. "I trust you too," he whispered, leaning forward to kiss her lips. "I think I have since we were kids."

"Yeah," she agreed, shifting so she could lay her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe we've come this far sometimes. It seems like… I dunno…" she giggled as she felt Inuyasha's hands resume their massage. "That tickles."

"You weren't complaining this morning."

Kagome lightly swatted his chest, making him laugh. "You just enjoy teasing me, don't you?"

"Well, you do make some beautiful sounds…"

"Inuyasha!" she squeaked. If the conversation had turned the way it had, it might not have felt as suggestive.

"What?"

She couldn't form a response. It was hard to think when he was rubbing her legs. Kagome hummed appreciatively instead. "Do you think that we'll have another…ah…moment like that?"

Inuyasha let out a groan as he said, "Fuck I hope so."

Kagome laughed into his shoulder as he patted her leg. He'd been as disappointed as she was to be interrupted, and she hoped that another opportunity would come along. This didn't feel like one of those things that they should push just to get it over with. It was important, and the moment needed to be right, as cheesy as that sounded in her head.

She stifled a yawn. It was late. She knew she needed to go to bed, but she didn't want to go to bed. To go to bed alone, after that morning was not something she looked forward to. But she also couldn't just ask Inuyasha to stay with her. She knew he'd say yes to whatever she offered, but it felt unfair to him. The next time she had the courage to ask him to stay in her bed with her, she wanted to ask him without leading him on. Right now it would be better if they resumed their normal habits. If only she could be bothered to get off the couch.

Inuyasha could feel her drifting off. He wasn't surprised, but it did create a problem. She hadn't changed out of her work clothes, and he didn't feel comfortable undressing her. Yes, he'd said he'd wanted another opportunity. He'd also want her to be awake so she could enjoy it too. Even if he was just helping her change clothes. He shifted, picking her legs up under the knees and moved her back against the pillows. Inuyasha reached for the throw blanket across the back of the couch, looking around.

'_It is deep enough,'_ he reasoned, settling into the vacant space next to Kagome. He didn't much favor the thought of going to bed alone either. As he pulled the throw over the both of them, Kagome turned and curled into his chest with a content sigh. _'Any stiff joints are worth this,'_ he decided, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. He dropped a light kiss to her brow, hoping like hell that phone didn't ring in the morning.


	11. Chapter 11

Three weeks had passed since their talk on the couch, and Kagome felt like each time they moved closer, something made them take two steps back. It was always _something_. She had to work. He had to work. Her friends wanted to hang out. His friends would drag him away. And a few times, if she even so much as thought about kissing him, their parents would decide to make a surprise visit.

Sometimes late at night Kagome contemplated locking all the doors, turning off their phones, and not letting Inuyasha out of her sight until they were thoroughly sated. He'd have no complaints about that. In fact, the only thing that kept her from doing it was the blatant signal it would give off – "I want to have sex with my boyfriend so leave me alone".

Kagome couldn't do it. no matter how many times she'd like to throw caution to the wind, her confidence stopped her. despite the years of hard work to build her self esteem up, she still had days where she questioned everything. What did Inuyasha see in her? Was she pretty enough? Curvy enough? Could she stand to loose a little more weight, just in case? She worried about the little freckles on her skin. She worried about her hair – _that_ hair – and whether it should be removed. She stressed about if she had any body odor that she couldn't smell. Was her skin soft enough. Were her nonexistent stretchmarks somehow visible. The more she thought, the more she worried.

She knew that her fears were unfounded. Inuyasha had seen her at her best and at her worst. He never pushed her. He always asked if she was okay. And it wasn't as if he were experienced either. They'd both figure it out along the way.

That didn't mean she didn't worry about disappointing him.

* * *

Of all the things that had happened recently to interrupt them, perhaps the most startling had been the day that Sesshomaru had appeared at her doorstep. Kagome had heard stories about Inuyasha's older brother, even had a vague image of him built in her mind from what she had been told, but none of it mattered that morning. There had been a knock at the front door, the first sign that something was off. Inuyasha had a key, and her family and friends would call ahead of coming over to visit. Kagome opened the door, about to tease whoever was on the other side, when she took in the tall figure before her.

Sesshomaru was a good foot taller than Inuyasha, and in Kagome's opinion, looked nothing like him. He had long silver-white hair and golden eyes like Touga and Inukimi. Then she mentally berated herself; they were _half_ brothers so of course they wouldn't look a whole lot alike. Inuyasha's features tended to favor Izayoi's, where Sesshomaru's were a sharper version of Inukimi's. He said nothing, simply stared, and it was beginning to make her feel self-conscious on a new level.

"Uh… Inuyasha's working –"

"I did not come to see my little brother," he spoke calmly. "I am here to speak with you."

Kagome swallowed, stepping aside to let him enter. Her? She knew she was due to meet him sooner or later, but she figured she'd meet him on a family visit. At least when Inuyasha was with her. But no, he'd purposely chosen to wait until she was alone to drop by. Without a word, she shut the door and led him to the dining room before ducking into the kitchen. He never said a thing as she hastily grabbed the tea tray, loading it with two mugs, a plate of cookies, and the thermal carafe.

If her hands happened to shake as she set the tray on the table between them, he didn't point it out.

"I take it you did not expect me."

May as well be honest. "Ah…no. I'm sorry. You caught me by surprise."

Sesshomaru studied her, and Kagome wanted to duck under the table. He didn't look angry with her, but he reminded her of how a few teachers had watched students take tests in school. It was that kind of look that expected to see someone slip up and use it against them. "You care for my brother," he said at last.

Kagome didn't hesitate as she stated, "I love him."

"I expected as much. My brother reacted much the same way when I asked him. Tell me, has he spoken to you about the future?" When Kagome didn't answer immediately he continued, reaching for a mug and the carafe. "Inuyasha is of the age where most merfolk begin to actively seek their intended."

She felt her stomach drop. Was that why he was here? Was he about to tell her that her worst fears were going to come true? That she would ultimately lose Inuyasha? "Let me guess," she swallowed. "he needs to look for a mermaid instead?"

Sesshomaru paused in pouring his drink and looked up at her. "And what gave you that idea?" The tone was the same, but it almost sounded like he was surprised.

Kagome wasn't going to cry. She wouldn't. If she cried in front of him, it would only solidify the words that those kids had said years ago, that she was weak. A crybaby. Instead, she pushed the urge down and used it to get angry. Just because he was about to tell her that they had to end things didn't mean that she'd roll over and take it. "I don't know," she scoffed. "You wait to meet me when I'm alone. You tell me he's at marrying age as if I didn't know that. Inuyasha's been the best thing to come into my life so sure, let's drop this bombshell because _of course_ being his girlfriend is too good to be true –"

"On second thought, you really do suit my brother."

"Huh?" What was he talking about? "W-what was your first thought?"

"When you opened the door, I saw someone who would buckle at confrontation. Just now, I saw someone willing to fight for what they wanted. If I had announced that I was to visit today, you would not have shown me your true self. You would have been complacent, and that does not fit the stories that I have heard from my little brother."

Oh god, what had Inuyasha told his family over the years?

Sesshomaru continued, lifting his mug to his lips. "I was told that you have compassion for others, but that you are fiery when pushed. If this misunderstanding was any indication, then the stories are indeed true."

"Misunderstanding?"

"You are under the impression that I have come here to sever the ties between you and my brother."

"I… I mean… That's not...?"

"Of course not. Just what has my brother told you about me?" For the first time, Kagome saw Sesshomaru pull a face, and if she hadn't been so surprised she may have laughed. "I came here today to meet the woman my brother has fallen in love with. I thought that it would be better if we met alone in case my brother tried to sway your perception of me, but it appears that he's already done that."

"Sorry. I –"

"Let me finish. If there was to be anyone that would confront you about your relationship, it would be our father. As it stands, he is more than happy with who Inuyasha has chosen. I was inquiring as to whether he had brought up our traditions."

Kagome felt herself relax considerably. So she really had misunderstood. Okay then. That was a relief. "I…I don't think he has?" The realization was startling. Inuyasha had told her that he wanted more, only ever with her, but…was that all he wanted with her? Was there a reason he hadn't told her?

* * *

"What is wrong with you?!"

Sesshomaru turned, looking at his brother coolly. "I would think you would be pleased that I finally met Kagome."

Inuyasha swam around his brother, scowling. "You had no right to bring up our traditions –"

"From the expression in her eyes, it was obvious that you had not –"

"I was planning to –"

"When?" Sesshomaru straightened, towering over Inuyasha. "When you have taken your fill of her? Do you intend to lead her along with empty promises? You say that she is fragile, but have you ever considered what _not_ telling her could do? She likely thinks that you have no desire of telling her everything, if her expression was any indication when I brought the matter up."

"I'm gonna –"

"You had better." Sesshomaru usually didn't care about his brother's personal matters, but this went beyond simple feelings. He had seen the brief flash of disappointment in Kagome's eyes, and it reminded him far too much of another young maiden with dark hair. She had not been able to get her greatest wish fulfilled, and it was a look he'd never forget. He wouldn't let it happen again if he could help it, and if that meant dragging his brother by the fin to shore he would do it. "Father would be disappointed if he found out otherwise. I can only imagine how Lady Izayoi would react."

Inuyasha bit back a growl. His brother was right, as much as he hated to admit it. It wasn't that he was trying to lead Kagome along, as Sesshomaru put it. He just didn't know how to bring up the topic.

* * *

Turns out that he didn't have to find a way to bring it up. Kagome had that evening when they were lounging on the couch watching tv.

"What your brother said this morning…about your traditions. If you don't wanna talk about it – I mean, I know he was probably out of line for even bringing it up but –"

"It's…not that, Kagome." Inuyasha paused as Kagome shifted positions, pressing her side against his as she tucked herself into his shoulder. "I want to tell you, really. But with our schedules not giving us much time, or even getting time to ourselves for more than a minute…it hasn't felt like the right time. Does that make sense?"

Kagome nodded. "Guess it's gonna take more than a five-minute break to explain, huh?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "I didn't want you to go thinking that I was purposely keeping anything from you."

She glanced up at his expression. Inuyasha looked troubled. Was he that worried about it? Sesshomaru hadn't said anything more on the matter, but now she was wondering if he got lectured by his older brother when he came back home earlier in the afternoon. He hadn't said what they talked about then either. Or was he more concerned that she might think he was hiding something? Whatever the reason, Kagome didn't like seeing this expression marring his features. She wanted to see him smile. Relaxed even. Better yet… A devious smile crossed her face.

"Of course not," she said gently, shifting again. Her palm lay flat against his chest, sliding up the material of his tank top to rest on his shoulder. She felt him tense slightly, and she used it to her advantage as she spun to straddle his lap. "We've known each other for too long for me to think that. After all, I think there's only _one thing_ you've been keeping from me…"

Inuyasha blinked, trying to make sense of what just happened. They were talking about _that _talk they needed to have, but now Kagome was in his lap talking about something else…and he forgot what else. The blood was leaving his brain too quickly and all he could focus on were the toned thighs that were straddling his waist in _incredibly short_ shorts.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked sweetly, as if she had no idea what she was doing to him. She leaned forward and peppered light kisses against his throat, earning a deep groan for her efforts. Her kisses moved up to his ear, and she whispered, "We can worry about it later. Right now I just want to do this," before she tugged on his earlobe with her teeth.

There was a throaty "fuck yes" from beneath her as Inuyasha's hands came to grip her hips. He pulled her down against him, making her gasp. Really, how could she _not_ expect to have that effect on him with what she was doing? His hands shifted from her hips back, and the new gasp she let out as he palmed her backside gave him pause. "S-sorry –"

"No, it's okay." Kagome leaned back to look at Inuyasha. "I liked it," she added with a blush. "You can…do that…"

That's all he needed to hear, tightening his hold and making her moan. Kagome leaned down again to kiss him, but the sweet friction between them left both of them moaning against each other's lips. It felt so good, and once again it hit him just how well they fit against each other. Inuyasha's hips shifted underneath hers as he held her, guided her against his lap. Each time she'd gasp his name in a wonderful way that took him back to that morning in her bed. One hand left the curve of her rear, dipping underneath her tank top to rest against the small of her back. They may not be going that far just yet, but dammit he needed to touch her bare skin.

"Inu…" Kagome whimpered against his lips. "Oh Inu…" She didn't know what she wanted to say. All she knew was that she wanted more. Maybe not _that_ much more, but _something_. She couldn't figure out what it was, but that familiar feeling was back, creeping up on her. "Inuyasha… I… I need…"

"Tell me Kagome," he sucked in a breath as his head fell back against the couch. Inuyasha's hips rocked upwards again, and it took everything he had to not flip them. But those noises she made nearly had him breaking his resolve.

"I… I need… I need…"

_RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING!_

"_I need that phone to not ring!_" Kagome shrieked suddenly, making Inuyasha's head snap up to see her positively livid as she made to grab the phone.

'_That shouldn't turn me on,'_ he thought. She was mad as hell but she looked beautiful still straddling his lap. Hair a mess, flushed from a mixture of desire and now rage. Whoever was on the other end was about to get a rude awakening, and he just hoped it was quick. She may be furious, but he was aching more now than he was that morning in her bed. They had been _so close_ and –

"It's…Sango."

"Sango?" he croaked out. Kagome moved against him in wonderful ways in her reach for the phone, but she was too distracted by the unfortunate caller to notice. Inuyasha craned his neck around to read the clock on the wall behind them.

It was eleven-thirty. At night.

That was odd. No one with sense would call this late unless something was wrong. As soon as Kagome had put the phone to her ear did they both hear the woman on the other end squeal "MERMAID!" Kagome's alarmed eyes met his.

"MIROKU IS A MERMAID – I – I MEAN MERMAN! HE'S A MERMAN, KAGOME!"

"Calm down Sango…"

'_Just say it quick,'_ Inuyasha thought. He was too far gone for this discussion to be drawn out. As it was he wanted to skin Miroku alive just for revealing himself. Tomorrow, or any other time that Kagome wasn't straddling his lap. She then wiggled and he bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't whimper. _'Shit -! Don't do that, 'Gome!'_

Kagome was oblivious to Inuyasha's current state, too focused on her near-panicked friend. "Take a deep breath and start from the beginning."

There was a faint inhale and exhale, then, "Kagome. Miroku is a merman."

"Okay."

"Okay?! So he wasn't pulling my leg when he said you knew already?!"

"Hang on – how did this even come up in the first place?"

When she next wiggled in his lap, Inuyasha's eyes widened. _'Uh oh. No, no! Don't do that! Not now!'_ Her squirming only added friction he did not need in the moment, but it wasn't like he could exactly dump her out of his lap. It'd raise too many questions.

Common sense would have suggested that he try to put distance between them, even just an inch. Unfortunately his common sense went south. Instead, his hips jerked upwards when she next wiggled to get comfortable. He almost didn't get his hand over his mouth to stifle the sudden groan. _'Shit -!'_

As Kagome listened to Sango recount her day – really, how'd this tie in with Miroku – she felt Inuyasha's hips rock up into her and she braced her free hand against Inuyasha's chest to steady herself so she didn't fall backwards. Oh god, that had been _wonderful_ and she wanted him to do that again – if she could ever get off the phone, that is. What she couldn't fathom was why he'd gone so still. He'd found a sweet spot with that motion –

"What was that noise?" Sango asked mid-thought.

"Uh…" Kagome glanced down at Inuyasha, who was blushing and looked like he wanted to disappear. Between his expression and the previous moments, everything came crashing together. "It was Inuyasha," she said quickly. "He stubbed his foot on the table leg. I think he's okay. He heard I was talking to you and didn't want to yell out, that's all." As Sango went back on her train of thought, Kagome mouthed, "Did you..?" only for Inuyasha to look even more embarrassed and nod. She gave him a sympathetic smile.

Sango had no idea what was transpiring on the other end of the phone as she rambled on. "So Miroku asks me if I wanted to go to the beach this evening, and I thought he just meant to take a walk. I mean we did take a walk, but…you know what Kagome it's late –"

"Uh uh!" Kagome straightened up, ignoring the squeak from her boyfriend. "You called me, Sango! Now how did you find out that Miroku was a mermaid!"

"Uh…he uh…I mean…he…might have talked me into skinny dipping in the ocean."

"Wow. And you had the gall to call me a floozy the other day."

Inuyasha's eyebrows rose at that. He had briefly heard swimming in the ocean, but he was too distracted by the wiggling to really care. What Kagome said got his attention though. Did Sango assume that Kagome was something she wasn't? Probably just a joke, if the way Kagome said it in passing was any indication. She hadn't sounded offended.

"Anyway," he could hear Sango say with exasperation, "I'm in the ocean, and he's right next to me. We're talking. I'm not thinking anything of it. At least until I feel something brush against my leg… and it was scaly."

Inuyasha snorted, his embarrassment forgotten.

"I may have screamed."

Kagome covered her mouth so she wouldn't laugh. She'd deftly pressed the button to turn on the speakerphone so Inuyasha could better hear the tale.

"And when we got back to the shore I saw it. It's indigo, Kagome! Indigo! Miroku. Has. A. tail. He says you knew. Have you seen –"

"No I haven't but that's good to know!" Kagome cut her off, thinking back to the day that Inuyasha revealed his secret to her. They had basically been kids then, and she'd almost seen _all_ of his secrets.

"Then how do you know he's a merman?" Sango sounded confused. There was a pause, and Kagome could only imagine the silence meant she'd just had an epiphany. "OH. MY. GOD. Inuyasha –"

"Is a merman," he finished for her, not bothering to pretend that he wasn't nearby anymore. "Yes Sango, I am. If Miroku revealed himself – in a manner of speaking – he should have mentioned that it is a highly guarded secret."

"Oh yeah. Yeah, once I stopped screaming he explained everything to me. You guys don't have to worry about me telling anyone." They could hear Sango let out a sigh and mutter about the time before she had another thought. "Dang Kagome, no wonder you were so mad that morning we worked all day! I'd probably be mad too it I almost got to play pony with a sea _horse_!"

Inuyasha was howling with laughter at that. The look on Kagome's face only made it funnier. He couldn't even be embarrassed that Sango's comment had clearly been a reference to one of their "girl talks" because the way she worded it was so bizarre. He laughed harder as Kagome squeaked out her goodbyes to Sango and her attempts to not throw her phone across the room.

"You get a good laugh?"

Once he could get himself under control he said, "After what happened, yeah. I think I deserved a laugh."

"It was at _your_ expense though!"

"But it was _your_ face that made me laugh so hard!"

"Speaking of –" Kagome winced as she saw his expression change from amused to horrified. "You okay?"

"Uh… yeah." Inuyasha cleared his throat. Right. How could he forget he'd done _that_? He let out a groan of disappointment as it really sunk in. "I'm sorry, 'Gome."

"Why are you sorry?" Kagome looked down at herself and debated moving. The mood was killed by this point – in more than one way – so really she had no reason to hold his lap hostage. His hands held her hips firmly, almost like he knew what she was thinking. _'Guess I'm not going anywhere.'_

"Why?" He repeated, dumbfounded. "We were… and I… I blew it." _'Literally blew it,'_ he finished silently. He couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

"Oh." She wasn't upset with him in the slightest. These things happened, after all. If anything she should be upset with herself. She'd been the one to start it. She'd been the one to lead him on. She'd been the one to leave him hanging and answered the phone. When she told him this, he disagreed.

"You didn't do nothing wrong, 'Gome. If I'd wanted to I could've stopped you." Inuyasha let out a breathy laugh. "I'd have been the biggest idiot in the world if I had." Hearing Kagome laugh made him smile. "I feel bad though. You didn't…ah…"

They both froze, knowing exactly what he was trying to say. All the joking aside, it had finally occurred to them what had happened. Maybe it was better that Sango called after all.

"It's okay," she said softly. Kagome sighed, leaning forward to lay her forehead on his shoulder. "We've got time to get there. Tonight just wasn't it. It was nice – I mean, _really_ nice." She lightly snorted. How could she even get to that place when she could barely say what she meant half the time?

"Kagome?" He hated what he was about to say. He was enjoying this closeness with her, but he had to.

"Yeah?"

"I…uh…need to go change."

"Right. Sorry."

Inuyasha couldn't help but grin at how flustered Kagome looked as she crawled out of his lap. She muttered about needing "to get ready for bed" despite already _being_ in her sleep clothes as she headed into the kitchen. If she was that frazzled just from what little happened that evening, he could only imagine what it might be like if… He shook his head to clear those thoughts. Now was not the time to think about that. He was already having to do his own walk of shame up the stairs to change his pants.


	12. Chapter 12

A week had passed since Inuyasha and Kagome's last interruption and the only developments taking place were _around _them. After Sango's initial freak out, she'd accepted the merfolk secret fairly easily. She'd be going on her fist date-but-not-date with Miroku that weekend. Kagome wasn't about to let her friend off the hook that easy after that phone call and saw to goad her at each opportunity.

"You let him see you naked already," she pointed out during their break. "May as well call it like it is."

Sango blushed. "Well – well – what about you?" she whispered, leaning in. "Inuyasha's always giving you those bedroom eyes and you're gonna tell me you're holding out?"

"Maybe if we weren't always getting interrupted something would've happened already!" Kagome whispered back.

"I _knew_ he didn't stub his foot!"

The exclamation wasn't said quietly, and a few diners around them laughed at the abrupt statement. It didn't matter that they didn't know the context.

"You know nothing," Inuyasha said in passing, a pitcher of tea in hand. With summer winding down, some of the seasonal work Inuyasha had been handling had slowed considerably. Which was fine, as Daisuke was all too happy to bring him on. The no-shows had failed to appear to work twice since the mess from weeks before and had been let go. Inuyasha had taken to serving easily, and the diners enjoyed his presence. It allowed him to add to his nest egg and when he needed to return to the kingdom he didn't have to make up excuses for time off.

Sango grinned at his retreating back. "I think I do," she told him in a singsong voice. Inuyasha pretended that he didn't hear her, but the light tint in his cheeks said otherwise.

Kagome finished the rest of her lunch, ignoring her friend and boyfriend. This wasn't unusual for them, and the diners enjoyed the banter. She could swear they deliberately tried to provoke each other on any given day. It was all in good fun of course, and she was glad that they got along so well. On occasion Miroku and Shippo would come in for lunch, even if the former was more interested in wooing Sango than eating. They had developed a routine, and she didn't mind at all.

She stole a glance over her shoulder. Inuyasha was speaking with a couple older ladies that resided in the retirement community. They were regulars, came in each Sunday for breakfast and on Wednesdays for lunch. Sweet ladies, both grandmothers. They were also notorious flirts and had taken _really well_ to Inuyasha's presence. He took it in stride – they meant nothing by it – and it wasn't like she could blame them. His broad shoulders stretched the diner tee and molded to his frame nicely, putting the muscle in his arms on display. Whether his hair was pulled back into a plait, a ponytail, or left in a quick bun, it gave everyone he passed a nice view of his backside. She was not about to let her eyes go lower. She already knew how well those jeans fit.

Damn. She was lucky to have him in her life. He just as easily could've picked any girl, and he chose _her_.

Kagome collected her dishes to take back to the kitchen. Did he really choose her though? It wasn't like they were _engaged_ exactly… but Sesshomaru had brought up those traditions, whatever they were, like he expected something to come of it. Inuyasha still hadn't told her anything, and she had a feeling he was more nervous about her reaction than the traditions themselves. She supposed that it would make sense; in a way they were from two different worlds, with different customs. Things they'd done weren't appropriate by his people's views, and even a couple were frowned upon among the islanders, depending on how "traditionalist" they were. She wasn't worried, about what he'd tell her or even what people thought about them. Inuyasha would tell her when he was ready. Everyone else would just have to deal with their choices.

She collected her pad and pen, heading to the first of her tables that was occupied. While her mind was still pondering that talk, her body moved on autopilot, taking the drink orders of the four men at the booth. It wasn't until she was halfway back with the drinks that she was jerked out of her thoughts by their conversation.

"Dude, was that Chubby Bunny Higurashi?"

"No way. It couldn't be."

"I dunno man. Looks like her to me."

"You must be going blind. Higurashi never looked that hot in high school!"

Kagome tried not to slam the glass in her hand down on the table. "Your drinks, gentlemen," she said with a fake smile in place. She knew who they were now, even if their names escaped her. She remembered the teasing, how they called her every fat name under the sun. She also knew not to acknowledge it. As it was, they weren't even sure she was the girl they had picked on. It was better to ignore it. That's what she kept telling herself. "Are you ready to order?" she asked as she placed the final glass on the table. The two guys by the window were ready, quickly listing off a ridiculous amount of food. The third hesitated as he studied her, but eventually ordered. The fourth was the one to give her issue.

"You're Higurashi."

'_Don't panic.'_ "I fail to see how that's relevant to your order."

The guy's grin widened and Kagome's stomach dropped. "It _is_ you." He let out a low whistle that made heads turn from the nearby tables. "Damn Higurashi, it's been a while. What happened?"

"I grew up," she replied in a clipped tone. She would not take the bait. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "Your order?"

"A bacon patty melt. Pickles on the side with onion rings," he rattled off, not looking at the menu. "I see you aren't chubby anymore."

"No," she took the menus back, tucking them under her arm. "I'm not." _'Don't encourage them, Kagome. You just need to get away –'_

"You got a boyfriend, Chubby Bunny?" He continued, ignorant of the flash of annoyance that crossed her face. "Someone getting a chubby carrot each night?"

His friends around him choked out a few laughs, but one hard look from Kagome sobered them up. She chose not to respond to that comment, tearing the order sheet off the pad. In her irritation she dropped the paper and stooped to pick it up. Not a second later she felt – and heard – the sound of a hand smacking her rear. Kagome straightened and spun on her heel, ready to tell off the guy, only she never got the chance.

A familiar hand had a tight grip on the wrist of the guy. The growl that came out of Inuyasha was almost feral. "You will apologize to her."

"Man who the hell –"

"You. Will. Apologize. To. Her. _Now_."

With each word Kagome saw Inuyasha's grip tighten on the wrist. Not that she was concerned about this man's wellbeing, but his hand _was_ starting to change color. It wouldn't reflect well on Inuyasha if he didn't stop soon. His buddies were even telling him to apologize, but she couldn't look away from Inuyasha. Kagome had never seen him so mad before. As she placed a hand on his arm, his gaze snapped to her.

"It's not worth it," she whispered, startled by what she saw. Normally warm eyes the color of whiskey glared back a brilliant gold. Faint markings stretched across his cheekbones, not unlike Touga's. _'What's happening to you, Inuyasha?'_

As soon as the guy let out a half-assed "sorry", Inuyasha let his wrist go. Kagome didn't bother to wait for the whimpering that was bound to follow before she tugged Inuyasha by the arm to the kitchen. On the way she slapped the menus and the order list on the pickup counter. Someone would see them and take care of it. She pulled Inuyasha down the hallway to the office, not stopping to knock on the door.

Daisuke was sitting at the desk filling out forms as his daughter stormed into the room, pulling her boyfriend behind her. "What's wrong?"

"Some cretin touched Kagome," Inuyasha snarled, trying to reign in his temper. He'd been only a few tables away when he'd heard the conversation and had grown concerned. Then the man had made that lewd comment, and he'd gotten angry. But when Kagome bent to pick up the dropped paper and he'd touched her…he saw red. He didn't recall crossing the space in three steps or grabbing the offending hand. Even Kagome's touch had taken him a minute to process, but the startled look in her eyes bothered him the most.

"What –" Daisuke rose from his seat, throwing down his pen.

"Guys from school that used to pick on me," Kagome cut in quickly. "One of them thought he was being clever…and he touched me when I bent to pick up the order list. Inuyasha nearly broke his wrist –"

"He deserved it!"

"Yeah but you don't deserve to get charged with battery!" she shot back. Kagome knew that he meant well, but the guy really wasn't worth the effort. He would've spun the story to outrageous levels, and Inuyasha or the diner getting fined was the best-case scenario. Telling him all this didn't seem to calm him down unfortunately. Kagome sighed, stepped into his arms and pressed her face against the crook of his neck. "I'm alright, Inuyasha."

Daisuke didn't look happy either. He was glad that Inuyasha had taken up for Kagome. But it shouldn't have happened in the first place. "They're still here? Have they ordered?"

"Yeah, I left their order on the pickup counter for Yusuke." Kagome tried not to sigh as Inuyasha started to rub her back. He knew. She was alright, but she wasn't _alright_. That guy's touch had been as unwarranted as his words. Inuyasha's touch was comforting, and she leaned into him, tightening her arms around his waist.

"I don't want you going back over to that table until they're gone," Daisuke told her as he opened the door. "For the remainder of your shifts, I want you and Inuyasha to switch. I'll handle that table as long as they're here. As much as I'd love to let you, I can't let you kick his ass. At least not on the property. Unless of course he were to start it…"

The dark chuckle that rumbled against her chest had Kagome looking up. The marks on his cheeks were gone, but his eyes still held a hint of gold. "There you are," she smiled. "Are you okay now?"

"I…think so." Inuyasha tightened his hold. He knew they'd have to get back out on the floor, or Sango was going to give them hell, but he just needed a few more minutes. He hadn't been able to understand why Kagome had looked at him so strangely until he'd seen his reflection in the small mirror on the wall when they'd come in. He hadn't recognized himself, and that terrified him. Even Miroku had never been able to test his temper like that. What was going on?

* * *

"You're going back?" Kagome tried not to look disappointed when Inuyasha told her that he needed to return to the kingdom.

They'd just finished cleaning up from dinner when he said it. Though really, she shouldn't have been surprised. After the day they had, it was understandable. Inuyasha hadn't been himself since, even when they got off work.

He nodded. "I need to speak with my parents about what happened. I need -" He couldn't finish the thought. That surge of anger, that energy that came over him…he had to know why it happened. He had to know that he could control it. To be assured that he wouldn't hurt Kagome if he ever reached that point again. Aside from the physical changes that had alarmed him, not being able to recognize her at first scared the hell out of him. If he were to hurt her in that state he would never forgive himself.

But seeing her face drop when he told her he was leaving was just as bad.

"If it were anything else…"

"I know," she said softly. "You do what you need to do, Inuyasha. I'll be alright."

It wasn't exactly a lie. She was independent, or at least she liked to think she was. Then again, she'd never slept in this house by herself before tonight. Inuyasha had been there each night since she moved in, she realized. They both knew that he'd have to go back sometime, it just…never happened. Until tonight. Maybe she wanted to be a little selfish. Even sleeping in his own room, it was still a comfort that she wasn't alone at night.

Inuyasha looked at her skeptically, and she knew he saw through her. "I wouldn't leave this late if it wasn't important," he told her, reaching up to brush his knuckles against her cheek. He wasn't keen on the idea of leaving her alone either. They had built a routine, and he liked that. It gave him comfort. He bent to kiss her gently, hating himself for pulling away. He wanted to stay. "I'm going to try to be back before breakfast."

She nodded, and they shared one more kiss at the door before saying goodnight. Kagome watched from the windows until she could no longer see Inuyasha on the street. It wasn't like it was goodbye, she reasoned with a shaky breath, but the ache in her chest sure as hell felt like it.

Unbeknownst to her, Inuyasha felt the same way as he forced himself to not turn around. Each step forward meant he was closer to answers, and ultimately getting back to Kagome. Still, both couldn't help but wonder how they were going to get through the night.

* * *

Touga and Izayoi were surprised to see their son appear in the corridor that evening, and naturally they assumed that something bad had happened. After all, seeing your child rush into your home late at night looking troubled never spelled good news. It wasn't until Inuyasha explained what happened that day that they understood his panic. What they didn't understand was why _he_ didn't see the situation for what it was.

Izayoi watched him with a frown as Inuyasha tore through the racks of scrolls in the study. She had told her husband to turn in with Inukimi. He had hesitated until she urged him, telling him that once Inuyasha had his answers she would join them. There wasn't much either of them could do at the moment, but she had a feeling he might benefit from hearing her explain things. "What is it that you hope to find sweetheart?"

"I need to know that I won't hurt Kagome," he said, not turning around. He'd open one scroll, scan it, and return it to the shelf. It had felt like hours had passed and he was no closer to a definitive answer. It was _just out of reach_ and it was driving him crazy. He tossed another rolled up scroll back and groaned. "How can we have all of these," he waved a hand at the racks, "but not have one that can tell me what I need to know!?"

She shook her head. _'Just like his father. Overlooking the obvious.'_ Izayoi swam to his side, stalling his movements with a hand on his arm. "You said that your anger rose," she reminded him. "What caused it?"

"Those men spoke inappropriately to Kagome." Alright so it was just the one that kept at it when she was right there, but it was a minor detail.

"What made you stop your duties and go over to them?"

Inuyasha frowned at his mother. He'd told her all of this earlier. "That one touched her –"

"Tell me why you nearly broke his wrist."

"Because Kagome didn't deserve to be treated like that! He had no right to touch her –"

Izayoi wasn't letting him finish before she cut in again. "And why is that?"

"She's my girlfriend –"

"So?" She shot him a calculating look. "There were any number of things that you could've done. You chose to inflict bodily harm. Why?"

"I love her. Mother –"

"Is that all?" she pressed. She knew she was pissing him off. Touga said that she could take that same expression that was on Inuyasha's face when she became irritated.

"No –"

"Then tell me the _real_ reason you did what you did."

"She's my chosen!" he shouted in the room. "I want to be with Kagome! To make her mine! To be hers! No one will touch her like that –" Inuyasha's eyes widened as the words sunk in. "Mother…I…"

Izayoi was beaming. "I'm glad you figured that out at last, Inuyasha. I really didn't want to be the one to tell you what you were feeling."

"You- you mean you knew? This whole time?"

She laughed softly. "I'm your mother. I had a hunch back when you both were children that we'd have this discussion one day." Laughing was good in that moment. It meant she was less likely to shed a tear for the realization that her son had truly grown up. She knew of course that one day he would leave home. His staying with Kagome at her house was the beginning. As sad as the thought was that Inuyasha would not need her as much anymore, she wasn't as upset as she thought she'd be. He'd found his intended. He was happy with Kagome, and she couldn't ask for more than that.

"That still doesn't explain –"

"If you think about it, it does." Izayoi began to count on her fingers of past examples. "When you are away from Kagome, she is all you can talk about. You've admitted that you love her – multiple times. I see you with a faraway look and I can tell it's her you think about. Are you really surprised that you fly into a rage when she's treated inappropriately, much less touched inappropriately by another man?"

Inuyasha looked embarrassed. How _had_ he not realized? His mother spelled it out before him, and looking back it was so obvious. He'd become smitten with Kagome long before he even began to understand that she'd become the first thing he thought of in the mornings and the last thought at night. "But my face –"

"Your father's blood is powerful," she said simply. "If I had been born of the sea as Inukimi had been, you would resemble your brother. As it stands, you are just as strong. It only lays dormant until you require it and draw from it."

"Then…I won't hurt Kagome?"

Izayoi tutted, pulling her son into a hug. "I highly doubt that would happen, sweetheart. Now, do you have the answers you need? I believe you have things you need to take care of."

* * *

Kagome reached for her phone on the bedside table, turning on the screen so she could read the clock. It was going on two in the morning and she couldn't fall asleep and _stay_ asleep. Every sound would jolt her awake. It could be the house settling or the tree her grandfather had always talked about cutting down – it didn't matter. She'd sit up, hoping to hear Inuyasha moving somewhere in the house. She wasn't worried about someone trying to break in; her house was too far out of the way for it to be considered, and even the community was relatively easygoing. If something suspicious occurred on the island, half the town would hear about it over coffee the next day.

It was pointless to look for him. She knew this. He wouldn't be back until tomorrow. Or later today, technically. There was no need to look for him. He would come back, just as he said, and hopefully with the answers he was looking for. That's what she kept telling herself each time she got up out of bed and walked the house. She'd check each room upstairs, starting with his, then go downstairs and search. It's like she hoped that she'd find him camped out on the couch because he didn't want to disturb her coming in.

By midnight she'd convinced herself to stop getting out of the bed.

'_Thank god tomorrow is a short shift,'_ she thought, burying her face into her pillow once more. _'I may not sleep until the sun comes up at this rate.'_

* * *

Inuyasha winched as he closed the front door. He knew it was the middle of the night, but his heart didn't want to wait until morning. He'd gotten his answers, and he _intended_ to stay for his mother's benefit. When she had brought it up that he'd been at Kagome's house each night since she moved in, he was more than mortified. It had explained the peculiar look that Lady Inukimi had given him in passing when he appeared at the kingdom earlier. Lady Inukimi probably thought like much of the realm had, if Miroku's comments were to go by: that he was going against tradition, taking advantage of the hospitality of the human woman who'd captured his interests.

Well, they weren't _wrong_. In the years since he met her, Kagome had taken hold of him and wrapped him around her finger without either of them realizing it.

Izayoi had shooed him off with a laugh, knowing that his attempts to stay would've had him restless for the remainder of the night. She really didn't mind. He'd found his place. She wasn't going to keep him there. All he would do would be wandering the corridors, and no one would get any rest.

He'd felt guilt as he pulled himself up onto the shore, throwing handfuls of sand over his tail to dry it faster. Dressing in the clothes he'd left in felt like a walk of shame, even though he didn't have anything to be ashamed of. They hadn't done anything…exactly… He'd been thankful that it was dark as he left the beach and followed the streets to Kagome's house. Less likely to be seen blushing like an idiot as the reality of the situation set in.

Kagome was _home._

She'd given him a key to her house months ago. That alone said enough. _'I should've known then,'_ he thought. He walked softly through the house until he found the wall clock. _'It's after three?'_ he winced again. _'Good think we don't work until this afternoon.'_ Inuyasha stepped slowly as he went upstairs, as if that would prevent the sounds of wood creaking. As quiet as the house was, he wouldn't have been surprised to step wrong and make a loud noise. He reached the second floor and paused as the two doors came into view. Both were open, but his feet were leading him away from where he knew he _should_ go. Where it was socially acceptable to go.

The light of the moon shone through the window, casting a soft glow across the curves of the figure in the bed. Inuyasha stood in the doorway, watching the slow rise and fall of Kagome's chest as she slept. It looked like she was sleeping soundly, but the rumpled covers around her disagreed. He sighed, knowing he should turn around, go back to his room. He knew that she was right here, and she was alright. It would be the proper thing to do.

Inuyasha took a step forward, not giving a shit about being proper anymore.

Quietly, he undressed to his boxers, leaving the clothes in a pile by the foot of the bed. It wasn't difficult to slip under the covers behind her. He sighed in contentment as he got comfortable. Already he felt better. It wasn't enough to know that she was there, it seemed. As he slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest, he felt a wave of tiredness settle over him. If he'd done the sensible thing and gone back to his room, he probably wouldn't have slept at all.

"Mm…" Kagome shifted, and he tensed as she mumbled. A small part of him feared that she'd tell him to go back to his room, but that fear was washed away with her next words. "Inuyasha…you came back."

She'd sounded so relieved, and it made his heart swell. "Keh, course I did," he grinned, burying his nose in her hair. "Get some rest, Kagome. I'm right here." He heard her let out a small sigh of her own as she went back to sleep. _'And if you'll allow me, I'll be with you from here on out.'_


	13. Chapter 13

Kagome rubbed her eyes tiredly. It had taken so long to fall asleep that she didn't feel like she'd gotten any rest at all. When she did sleep, she dreamt that Inuyasha was in the bed with her. Just laying there with her, nothing exciting, but it had been wonderful. She had been asleep on her side, and he was behind her, and…wait. She turned, or attempted to, finding a firm body behind her. An arm was wrapped around her middle tightly. "It wasn't a dream."

"I would hope your dreams are more eventful than sleeping," Inuyasha chuckled.

She wiggled under the weight of his arm, turning to face him. "You came back." If she'd thought about it she'd have remembered that she'd said that very thing in her "dream".

"Told you I would."

"But – I thought –"

"I found my answers," he murmured, leaning across her.

His kiss was gentle, and she could feel the longing behind it. Didn't matter that he'd only been away for a handful of hours, that wasn't uncommon for them. Considering the reason he left, she wanted to know why. It gutted Kagome to push against his chest because she wanted nothing more than to continue that kiss.

His bare chest, she realized.

"Are you naked?"

Inuyasha couldn't help the cheeky grin. "Do you want me to be?"

"I'm serious!" she squeaked, feeling her face heat up. She may not have gotten any decent rest, but she was wide awake now.

He laughed, kissing her cheek. "I have my boxers on," he replied. "Now why did you really stop me?" Inuyasha was pretty sure he knew the answer, but there was also that inkling fear that she didn't want him in her bed. He did come into _her_ house in the middle of the night, strip to his underwear and get in _her_ bed while she was _sleeping_. It had felt like such a good idea at the time, but now he was trying to swallow that fear that she was upset with him. He would not panic.

Kagome chewed her lip as she studied him. She wanted to ask so badly. Inuyasha did say that he'd gotten his answers. He didn't appear upset, so it couldn't be bad news. _'If I don't ask, he's gonna kiss me again and I'll forget –'_ "What did you find out? About everything yesterday?"

He hesitated for a second, settling back onto his side. "The change was because of my father's blood," he explained. "Because my mother was not born among our people, the strengths I've gotten from my father are just beneath the surface…markings included. My…anger yesterday tapped into that."

"But why all of a sudden?"

"Because the love I have for you runs deeper than I ever realized, Kagome. The thought of some man touching what will never be his made me see red." He grimaced inwardly at the choice of words, but he needed to get his point across. "You're the one my soul calls to. I want to spend my life with you, in any way that you'll allow me."

"Oh," Kagome breathed. That was not what she expected him to say, but now that he did…she wanted to cry. She'd tried to reason that he had acted as a jealous boyfriend after he'd left, but her heart said that wasn't the only explanation. For that…it had to have been something deeper. She couldn't contain the few tears that did escape, sighing as he leaned in and kissed away the stray tears. "Why does that sound like a proposal?" she asked softly.

"That's because it is."

"I-Inuyasha?"

He entwined his fingers with hers. "Kagome, I meant it when I said I wanted to spend my life with you. I want to marry you. Have a family with you. Grow old with you. You're it for me. If…if that isn't what you want, or if you don't want it with me, I still want to be a part of your life. No matter what happens Kagome, I want to remain your friend."

Inuyasha looked so nervous as he spoke. She squeezed the hand he held to reassure him. He was just as nervous about assuming things as she was apparently. "You're always going to be my friend, Inuyasha." Kagome felt a mix of giddiness and anxiety as she started to speak again. "I'd be a fool to turn you down. I've never been so happy than when I'm with you, Inuyasha. I want all those things too…with you."

The relief that crossed his face was adorable.

"I suppose now's a good a time as any to tell you about the merfolk traditions?"

Kagome snorted. "I assume laying in your girlfriend's bed in just your underwear is the start?"

"No, that goes against pretty much everything I was taught _not_ to do growing up." He grinned as she laughed, propping himself up on his elbow. "What do you know, before I start?"

"Nothing actually."

"That makes things so much easier," he said dryly.

She poked him in the chest with her free hand. "You remember what I told you when we were kids. And your brother never explained either. Only said that it'd be best if you were the one to tell me."

Inuyasha grinned despite himself. "I hate when he's right. There's nothing…otherworldly about our traditions, really. We just have different ways of doing what humans do." His eyes widened as he realized how that sounded. "Not _that_! That's done like humans! Stop laughing Kagome!"

Kagome had only snickered at first, but the longer he tried to explain the funnier it became. Maybe she hadn't gotten enough rest, or maybe it was early, but his face had been hysterical. "I should hope you do," she teased. "Or we may have to find a handbook to figure out how to do that."

"Cheeky woman." Not that he'd have her any other way. "As I was _trying_ to say, when a merman has proposed to their chosen, their families will come together to hold a celebration to announce the merging." He frowned, looking for the right word. "I think humans call it an engagement party? Where humans will use rings to signify the engagement however, merfolk choose something that is significant to their chosen. It could be a ring, a necklace, even something like a piece of coral in some cases. It's presented in private; the formal announcement is more to commemorate the occasion. A date is chosen, and the wedding ceremony itself is much like a human wedding. Well…" he hesitated, frowning.

"What?"

"There's a special marking that's done before the wedding ceremony, it's like a tattoo of sorts. Each person carries the same marking-"

"Wait. What do you mean _each_?"

"Ah, right. I should have mentioned that first. Sometimes there can be more than two people in the marriage. It's…not unheard of –"

Kagome's mind was reeling. Were merfolk polygamous? Did Inuyasha expect her to...? Then it hit her, and she let out a yelp that had him leaning back in surprise. "Your parents! I thought your father had gotten a divorce with Lady Inukimi! You mean to tell me that they –"

"Yes," he said at last, blinking. "Merfolk don't have divorces, Kagome. That's part of the marking. It…binds those that intend to marry. Permanently. My father has been married to Lady Inukimi for many years before he met my mother. He loves them both equally, and when he met my mother he introduced her to Lady Inukimi. There are no secrets held between them, and they each needed to agree to the arrangement before my mother bore the marking they share. Marriage is not something our kind take lightly."

"Oh." For some reason Kagome had always figured that Lady Inukimi was simply the first wife who had a pretty chill outlook on Touga and Izayoi's relationship. It had never occurred to her that all three would be in a marriage arrangement at once. "Sorry, I guess I'm so used to humans…you know…"

Inuyasha smiled. "I understand, Kagome. When I was growing up I couldn't understand it myself when my mother explained it to me. I always thought that one day I would find one person, and I have. So unless you manage to clone yourself Kagome, I do not see following in my father's path."

Kagome returned the smile, a bit shyly as she said, "Same goes for you, though I don't know if I could handle more than one of you."

They fell into silence for a few minutes. Inuyasha lazily stroked the hand he held with his thumb as he asked, "Are you okay with this, Kagome?" He knew the marking might be a deal breaker, and that scared him. He wasn't certain if they could be truly married by merfolk customs if she didn't agree to the mark, and he started thinking of how he could approach his parents about the matter.

"I am," she said, startling him. "The idea of being tattooed makes me a little nervous though. What kind of mark is it? Does it go in a specific place?" That was her one holdup, but what knowledge she had about getting tattooed came from her friend's extended family members sharing their stories. Some said it hurt, some said it didn't, but all agreed that an area that doesn't have a lot of "cushion" would definitely hurt and only advised it if you had a high pain tolerance. "But…what about after? What happens then?"

The unsure look in her eyes told Inuyasha that she wasn't referring to the wedding night. Kagome wanted to know where they would live, start a family. "I…I haven't thought that far ahead," he told her honestly. "All I know is that you're my home, Kagome. Whatever we do, we have all the time to figure it out."

Kagome hummed in understanding as he let go of her hand to brush her hair back. As much as she tossed the night before, it must've looked a sight. "I almost asked if a marriage were possible between a merman and a human, but I'm looking at my answer," she grinned. "How did your mother become a mermaid?"

"I'm not sure of the specifics, only that it was a process. It has to be a choice made from the heart, is what she told me." He kept running his fingers through her hair lightly as he spoke. "You don't have to decide now, Kagome. We don't even have to tell our families just yet. Knowing that you've said yes is more than I could ask for, so if you want to wait we can wait."

"How did I get so lucky?" she murmured. His touch was hypnotizing, and she felt like she could fall back asleep if he kept it up. She lifted her newly freed hand to the beaded necklace, twisting its dark shells on the cord. Kagome looked up shyly under her lashes, feeling her face heat up even before she asked her next question. "Are there any traditions that say that – I mean –"

Inuyasha couldn't hide his grin as Kagome fumbled over her words. He knew _exactly_ what she was trying to say. If he were feeling evil he'd make her say it. As it was, his desire to kiss her overruled that idea. "If there are, they're so ancient that no one follows them anymore."

The response had Kagome looking up just as Inuyasha leaned over her, rolling her onto her back. There was more heat in this kiss, and the sigh she let out was swallowed as it deepened. Kagome's arms came up around his shoulders, not wanting him to move away. She sighed his name as he trailed kissed along her jaw to that sensitive spot beneath her ear. That was evil; he knew that did things to her. Good things. Tingly things. He nipped the spot lightly with his teeth and she whimpered, arching up against him and the hand that had dipped under the hem of her tank top. Kagome's eyes flew open as his fingertips ghosted across her stomach.

"N-no! Don't look!" she yelped, reaching for his wrist.

Inuyasha nearly jumped out of his skin. She had responded so well, and now this? "What's wrong? Kagome? Did I hurt you?"

"I…I'm sorry…" she mumbled, feeling sick to her stomach. Why did those words have to come out? Why couldn't she have kept her mouth shut?

"Kagome?"

"It's nothing. I was just being stupid."

Inuyasha frowned as he looked down at her. "That didn't sound like nothing, 'Gome. Did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head, unable to meet his gaze. "It's…me." Kagome wanted to cry, feeling a lump form in her throat. _'I thought I was past this. Even with yesterday I haven't felt like this in a long time…'_ "I just got scared."

"I upset you- Kagome, we don't have to rush anything –"

"No," she cut him off. One glance told her that he misinterpreted what she said. "You didn't do anything wrong, Inuyasha. It's not that. I… I got scared because… it's light out and.. I didn't want you to see-" Kagome could feel the tears build and tried to blink them away before he could notice. She really didn't need to cry on top of everything else. "I'm scared I won't look like you want because I used to be fat –"

"Kagome, you've _never_ been fat." Inuyasha felt a wave of anger come over him and fought to keep it down. Now it made sense. She was still self-conscious after all this time. "You have nothing to worry about. I love _you_. Every inch of you. I couldn't care less if you were covered in scars, because you'd still be beautiful to me."

The little sniffle he heard didn't sound assured. Words wouldn't be enough to convince her, it seemed. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I'm trying not to –"

He leaned down and kissed away the tear that rolled down her cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry for. If you don't want me to see you just yet, it's alright," he told her gently. And it was. He'd wait a hundred years if that was what it took for her to be ready. He started to leave soft kisses across her cheeks, making her laugh. "So I can touch and kiss you where I can see you? That's alright?"

"Of course," she replied. Kagome stifled another laugh as his kisses followed the column of her throat and down to her shoulder. They were so light they tickled, but the laughter became a sigh when his kisses traced her collarbone, moving down to the neckline of her top. She shivered when his tongue darted out, quickly tasting the skin before he moved to pepper her arms with kisses. "Inuyasha…"

"Hm?"

He was moving down the bed, taking the blankets with him. Kagome felt his lips press against the inside of each wrist before he paused at the exposed bit of her belly. Not breaking eye contact, he left a lingering kiss just beneath her navel, and she sucked in a breath. That look…she'd seen that look before, and it did the same things to her that his kisses did. He _desired_ her. _Her._ There was no denying it anymore, no more trying to believe that it was all a dream that would end, and he was proving his words. Inuyasha moved further down, beginning to pepper kisses along the top of her left thigh. Kagome whimpered as his touch moved down the length of her leg, to the top of her foot, and to the instep. That had especially tickled, and she'd let out a choked laugh that made him grin.

"Ticklish, huh?" he teased, moving to her right foot. "I wonder where else you're ticklish."

Kagome's laughter stopped when he began to move up the inside of her right leg. "I-Inuyasha…ah!" She bit down on her lip as his lips brushed against the inside of her thigh. This was different, and she was both excited and nervous. She wasn't sure she was ready for him to keep going on that path, but she also didn't want him to stop either. Inuyasha must have picked up on the small noise she made as he hooked his arm underneath her leg, bending it at the knee.

"I wonder," he mused, slowly raising her leg up. "Are you ticklish here?"

"Wha-" Kagome let out a squeal as she felt Inuyasha duck underneath her raised leg and playfully nipped the back of her thigh, just beneath where the hemline of her shorts stopped. Her back raised up off the bed and she tried to get away, but his grip was too strong. "Inu – Inu- Inuya_SHA_!" her squeals were mixed with more laughter as he continued to assault the back of her thigh. It tickled like hell! She had no idea she was ticklish there! In her peals of laughter she never noticed that Inuyasha had let up and lowered her leg back to the mattress.

When Kagome could find her breath once again she was startled by how Inuyasha appeared. The sunlight coming through her window cast a glow against his tanned skin as he watched her on his hands and knees, his dark hair loose and falling around them. He wasn't even attempting to hide the evidence of his excitement either, and she found her cheeks getting hot again. Then she met his gaze and her insides did a flip. There was that heated look again, and did his eyes look brighter, or was that a trick of the sun? "Inuyasha…"

She had no idea he could move that fast.

* * *

It was days later when they got a day off work. Inuyasha had gone back to the kingdom to visit with his parents, and Kagome had been asked to come to brunch with Sango and the girls. In their words, she was "always busy" between work and having a boyfriend, and she never did anything with them anymore. With the tourism slowing down as the summer holidays ended, they knew it was the opportune moment to ask, because she couldn't get out of it. Yuka and Eri were going to be taking college classes in the fall on the mainland, so it was another reason to take them up on the offer. She did want to spend time with her girl friends before the realities of growing up kicked in full force with the change of the seasons.

How it turned into an interrogation about her love life was something she couldn't figure out.

"I don't see where it's anyone's business but me and Inuyasha's."

"We're your friends," Yuka pleaded, "Do you really want Eri and me to go off to school in a few weeks knowing that you're not being taken care of?"

Kagome nearly choked on her drink. She hadn't missed the suggestive tone in that question, and if they weren't sitting in a public setting she may have chucked something at her friend. If Yuka wanted to be that nosy, then she was gonna get it. "What makes you think that Inuyasha _isn't_ taking care of me?" It had the desired effect of shocked faces, but her plan backfired when the other four leaned in.

"You two have slept together?" Ayumi looked surprised.

"Ah…well….not exactly. I mean we have slept in the same bed…or on the couch…but it was just sleeping –"

"She really hasn't," Sango added.

"Thank you –"

"I'd have done said something if she had."

Kagome slapped a hand to her face, trying to suppress the groan. She loved her friends, but sometimes she wondered why she agreed to these outings. It was making the concept of becoming a hermit all that more appealing. "Look, it's not that big a deal."

"Kagome, a girl's got needs!" Eri pointed out. "Surely you've…I don't know…_done_ something, right?" her face scrunched up in frustration as she looked around. "If we weren't in the middle of town I'd be clearer. Done some product testing? A hands-on experiment? Hell, even an unboxing –"

"Alright, I get it!" Kagome hissed, wishing she could duck under the table. It was obvious they weren't going to let this go. They meant well, and they had the best intentions. They might not have understood her deepest insecurities, but they knew enough that maybe talking about things wouldn't be awkward. And they'd shared stories of their past boyfriends and dates with her, so why not return the courtesy? She let out a sigh, bracing herself. "We haven't exactly…_seen_ things, but… there's been some…ah… product testing?"

A chorus of curious "Oh's" and "Really now" came from all around the table. Kagome thought she could get away with being vague but decided against it. Even she wasn't entirely sure what she meant when she said "product testing", so in hushed whispers she described the events of the morning that Inuyasha came back. Only Sango knew relatively what she meant when she said that Inuyasha had to visit his parents about a family matter the night before that, but the others took it at face value. She went on to tell them what Inuyasha had said – save for the details about their engagement, because they hadn't even told their families yet – and the things he did. She told them about her minor freak out about him seeing her in the light of day and the way he proceeded to show her his appreciation.

It was when she told them about the way he had made her scream his name – again and again – that their jaws dropped.

"How many times did you..?" Yuka couldn't finish the sentence.

Kagome was blushing madly as she slowly held up three fingers. In truth she felt better telling them, even the watered-down details, because she was still having trouble processing it herself. Inuyasha had been thorough, and that was putting it delicately. He'd never pushed for more than she was willing to give, asked if something he did was okay, and was she comfortable. They hadn't really done more than they had on previous occasions, but he was determined to make sure she was satisfied.

"Is that why we couldn't reach you?" Ayumi wondered. "Your phone kept going to voicemail each time I tried to call you."

"Oh that," she laughed nervously. "I had my phone set to vibrate, and I think an app notification went off and it buzzed when Inuyasha was…you know. Long story short we had to stop by the store to buy a new one before going into work that afternoon. We might have…thrown it across the room."

No way was she going to tell them that it had been Inuyasha that had flung the phone after the first buzz. She'd been so close to that first one that she'd been too far gone to care that it had ended up in pieces as it bounced off the door frame. Surprisingly, the case was in one piece.

Eri sat back in her seat, shocked. "You need to marry him. No – don't even wait for him to ask. I don't care how you do it, do not let him get away."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Did you not hear me say that I'm it for him? Inuyasha told me that if I never wanted to take things further with him, to not shut him out –"

"Fine, fine," she waved the words off. "But when you get home, if he's there, jump his ass and ride that pony til you both see stars –"

"Eri! What the hell!" Kagome squeaked, looking around the restaurant. Fortunately, no one was paying them any mind, and the music playing through the speakers was able to drown a lot of conversations out.

"Don't mind her," Ayumi stated lightly, stirring her drink. "Her boyfriend's going to basic training when school starts back and she's still waiting on her "long distance adapter" to arrive in the mail."

"Wait, you mean you ordered a –"

"We don't all have generous boyfriends that live with us," Eri retorted.

"You opted for the all-girl's dorm room," Sango pointed out.

"Yeah well with Hojo enlisting it sorta sealed the deal. If I'm going to be miserable and wanting, might as well commiserate with the other girls."

"I was thinking of getting something," Yuka mused. "I was going to ask if you'd like to order something with me, but I guess you've got more than you know what to do with, huh Kagome?"

"I'm fine!" she squeaked, blushing again. Sango's snickering gave her pause. "Although Sango might take you up on that offer. I doubt those kinds of places would have anything I could use."

"Oh they have all sorts of things!" Eri stated. "They've got costumes –"

"Handcuffs?" Yuka offered.

"Vi –"

"Confidence!" Kagome cut Ayumi off quickly. "Confidence!"

The four looked at each other, then back at her. She wasn't too thrilled with the varying degrees of concern on their faces. Sango was the first to speak. "I don't understand. After what you said Inuyasha did…"

"I know. I know Inuyasha said that we could go slow, but I don't want to disappoint him when it does happen. He's been so patient with me, you guys. He's given me so much, and I know he wants to – and I definitely want to – it's just…"

"You're nervous." Eri said. Kagome was surprised she wasn't teasing her over this. "Everybody's nervous their first time. It's extremely intimate and you're baring everything to this person. Neither one of you has done it, and I'd bet my favorite boots he's just as nervous too. You know what Kagome? You can't screw this up. It _will_ be awkward and it _won't_ be perfect, but if you're with the right person it's not going to matter. And from what I've heard about Inuyasha, he's the right person."

"Eri…I don't know what to say…"

"Plus," Eri continued, without missing a beat, "If that last tumble was any indication of his prowess, he's not gonna stop until you get yours."

Kagome groaned, covering her face.

Sango patted her shoulder, trying not to laugh. "Try not to worry about it too much. You'll know in your heart when _the moment_ is, and I think Inuyasha will know too if you try and rush it."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Oh!" Eri smacked the table as a thought struck her. "Right! You really don't want to rush it, trust me. I thought I was "ready" one afternoon for a quickie, and it turns out I wasn't as ready as I thought I was. Mistakes were made."

Kagome wasn't sure if her laughter was because of Eri's expression as she said this, or if it was an attempt to hide how horrified she was by that image.

* * *

Hours later, Kagome let out a relieved sigh as she stepped through the front door. Brunch with the girls had somehow switched to each of them giving her advice based on their personal experiences. It had been…informative. She'd learned more about her friends' exploits than she'd ever wanted to know. _'They did mean well,'_ she thought, dumping her purse on the nearest chair. _'All in all, I guess it wasn't the worst thing, talking about this with –'_

She'd made a beeline for the kitchen, with every intention of starting dinner early, but the sight of Inuyasha stopped her in her tracks. Not only had he'd beaten her to dinner prep again, but he was giving her a delightful sight to behold. All of that long black hair was pulled up into a messy bun, baring the back of his neck. Her eyes traveled down, admiring how the muscles flexed beneath his skin as he moved. She wasn't sure when he'd begun to go shirtless around the house more often, but she wasn't complaining. His jeans hung low, giving a small peek at the waistband of his boxers. She was more fascinated by how the muscle cut deep lines over each hip, and just like the other morning, she wanted to let her fingers trace those lines.

A thought of how unfair that would be slammed into her, preventing her from moving. Inuyasha openly walked around half-naked with the knowledge that she would ogle him. And there she was, so insecure about herself, that she couldn't let him lift her shirt a few inches. It wasn't fair at all. Kagome thought about what she'd told her friends. If she were in Inuyasha's place, she wasn't sure she could've been as patient, and she had to wonder if he was nearing his limit. Hers certainly was – with herself. She was tired of being afraid to…

"You're back," Inuyasha's voice broke her from her thoughts as he turned around, smiling. "Good day?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah. It was…was good." He'd crossed the kitchen in a few steps, pulling her against him and kissing her on the cheek. The kisses moved to her jaw, then dipping to her neck. Kagome shivered and tried to stay focused. "H-how was…you day?"

"Good," came the simple response before he nipped her skin, laving it with his tongue afterwards. Inuyasha started to walk her back to the counter, gripping her hips and lifting her up to the edge. "Missed you though," he said between kisses.

Kagome let out a soft whimper. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

He grunted, and she took that to mean no. Inuyasha wasn't in the mood to tell Kagome about how his own friends had cornered him when he arrived in the kingdom, wanting to know _everything_. They'd managed to get him to spill about everything but the engagement, and he'd thought that would've been enough to satisfy them. Oh no, of course not. That had led into new territory where they found it fitting to _educate_ him. To make things worse, Kouga had been traveling from his realm to meet with Touga, and had heard the news. Inuyasha had been filled with more information than he ever needed to know just from Kouga alone, who felt that of them all he was most qualified. It had taken everything in him not to boast that even being inexperienced he could still make Kagome fall apart in his arms, but he held his tongue. He was more than ready to leave after that talk.

"You know," Kagome pushed lightly on his shoulder to get his attention. "one of these days you're gonna have to let me fix dinner for us."

"We've got time," he grinned, leaning in to capture her lips. It didn't take much effort on his part to coax her lips to open for him, and he groaned as her tongue met his. Right then, he didn't care if the food burned. He was right where he wanted to be.

Her stomach growling disagreed.

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome's stomach in amusement. "Did you not eat?" he teased.

"Well when your friends start talking about their sex lives you kinda lose your appetite for lunch."

He frowned. "You have eaten something today, at least?" Inuyasha stepped back and returned to the stove to check the pans in the oven. "You sit there," he added, pointing at her when she started to slide off the counter.

"I did. Got a hash brown plate with all the stuff. I dunno, I guess listening to them talk about all their dirty details mixed with the grease killed any hunger I might've had during lunch." Kagome intended to get down to help him, but from the pointed look he shot her way when she attempted again, he'd put her back on the counter. "I keep having to remind myself they mean well…"

Inuyasha closed the oven. It'd be a few more minutes before they could eat. "What'd they do? Give you advice?" he joked, but the expression on her face made him pale. "They didn't…"

"Yup," she said, feeling her face heat up again. One of these days she'd forever have a blush, she just knew it. Kagome shook her head, trying not to think about what Eri said about riding him like a pony. If her face reflected it, he'd ask, and she couldn't bring herself to repeat the words out loud. "Anyway," she sighed, hoping to change the subject. Her mind went to something else, and before she could stop herself she asked, "What are you doing tomorrow? Do you have any plans?"

He looked thoughtful, scratching the side of his neck. "Don't think so."

This was it, now or never. "What do you think about…going to the beach? Maybe go swimming?" At his perplexed look her resolve started to crumble and the words began tumbling out in a mess. "I mean I know you just came back from the beach, and swimming is something you've done all your life. I was thinking that…you know since the summer's coming to an end why not. I mean there's not a lot of tourists now cause they're going back to the mainland so we wouldn't have to worry about you being seen by anybody. And I might have bought a bathing suit like…a month ago, and it'd be a stupid thing to let it go to waste this season if I didn't wear it once…"

Inuyasha walked back to where Kagome sat, bracing his hands on either side of the counter. "Kagome," he said softly. "If you want to go to the beach, we can go to the beach. You know I'm not going to object if you want to show me your bathing suit."

The purr in his voice made her briefly consider following Eri's advice. He was already halfway naked as it was… "I think our dinner's done," she said, trying to refrain from laughing at the look of disappointment in his face. He'd been leaning in, wanting to continue what they'd started, but she could smell the food from where she sat.

She _was_ hungry.

* * *

'_I don't know what I was thinking. Why did I think I could do this? Why couldn't I have just said let's get naked and stay indoors, Inuyasha. I'm sure he wouldn't have objected to that. At least then I wouldn't be walking practically naked out in public…'_

Kagome pulled her cover up tighter around her middle. She'd thought she'd be okay with wearing her bathing suit under a pair of shorts and the gauzy oversized button down she'd pinched from Inuyasha's closet. They'd chosen to walk down to the beach instead of taking the bikes. The weather was nice, and they had nowhere to be. She'd done alright up until her feet hit the sand as she stepped off the boardwalk. Then she started to panic.

It wasn't so much that there were a lot of people around on the boardwalk or the beach either. It was her paranoia kicking in, making her think that everyone and their brother would be watching her as soon as she undid the button up. She looked around, noticing that of the few that were lounging in the sand, they were absorbed in their own worlds, soaking up the last days of summer before the magic faded and they'd have to accept that fall was approaching. Inuyasha had guided her along by the hand to "their spot" beyond the rocks, just like he had back when they were kids on the day he revealed his secret to her. A lot had changed since that day, and not just between them. The stone wall that acted as a divider and housed bins of clothing to change into had been reinforced over time. A small version of a pier was built with the guise of being used for fishing, but it was actually a platform the merfolk would use to dive into the water. It wasn't _needed_ per se, but it had multiple functions aside from being used by what would appear to be nudists to the oblivious passerby.

Such as a place to sit without getting sand in the shorts, as Kagome was currently doing. She sat with her feet dangling off the edge and into the water, trying to talk herself into removing her coverups. From behind her she could hear Inuyasha remove his clothes, leaving them in a pile by her beach bag next to the stone wall. The sound of footsteps running towards her was the only warning she got to cover her face before she heard a splash and felt salt water sprinkle on her legs. "Was that necessary?" she huffed.

"You were the one who wanted to come to the beach," he grinned.

"A canon ball though?"

Inuyasha laughed, swimming towards the edge of the pier, catching the lip with his hands. He studied her face and frowned. "You alright, 'Gome? You don't have to do this if you aren't ready."

"I…" she sighed. "I am. Believe me. I _need_ to do this. I think…maybe once I take this stuff off I'll feel better? Do you think?"

He shrugged. "I can't tell you that, but I'll support whatever you decide to do."

Kagome nodded, probably more to herself than in agreement with what he said. "I'm being stupid," she said firmly, standing up. Taking a few steps back and forth across the pier, it was obvious that she was trying not to talk herself out of unbuttoning the shirt. Her fingers shook a little as the first three buttons came unhooked, but as she kept going she felt a little calmer. It was just her and Inuyasha out here in this part of the beach. There was no one around to stare but him. Certainly no one to call her that horrid nickname anymore. She had to resist snorting at the memory. If Inuyasha had anything to say about it, no one would call her that ever again. The shirt fell open, and she took a deep breath as she let it drop off her shoulders, feeling the heat of the sun on her bared skin. _'Now the shorts, Kagome. Don't chicken out now.'_ Her hands had no issue with undoing the button and zipper of the shorts, letting them drop to her ankles before she stepped out of them.

The entire time she kept her eyes downward, not looking anywhere but at herself. A small part of her was nervous about what Inuyasha would say. She knew it wouldn't be bad, but she wasn't sure how to take _any_ response from him. With one fluid motion, Kagome squatted to grab the shorts from the pier, stood and retreated to the beach bag where she dropped the items. She took a second to steady her breathing before she turned around and started to walk back to the edge of the pier where Inuyasha waited quietly.

Too quietly.

It was enough to make her want to run back to grab her coverings.

Almost.

The look of adoration in his eyes was the only think keeping her moving forward. He wasn't leering, or making crude jokes, or saying anything. He was simply watching her, his lips curved upwards in a smile. He'd braced his forearms on the edge of the pier, propping his chin on them as he looked at her. If it weren't for the tail that would occasionally poke out of the water, it wouldn't have looked out of the ordinary.

"Do I… does this look okay?" she asked softly.

Inuyasha made a deliberate expression that made her laugh, as if he were thinking hard about the question. He raised his arm slightly, motioning for her to turn around in a circle, grinning as she continued to laugh. That's what he wanted, to hear her laugh. She'd looked so scared as she turned and went to the bag that he'd almost expected her to run back to it and throw her clothes back on. The relief he'd felt when she kept coming towards him…it was indescribable. He didn't want her to hide away anymore, so it was a big step. The sight of her walking towards him in that green bikini though… he'd been ashamed to admit that he'd let out a small whine. Fortunately for his pride she'd been too far away to hear it.

"You look beautiful, Kagome." The ability to say just how beautiful she looked to him was lost. Inuyasha wasn't sure if he could even put it into words. There were no flaws on her skin that he could see, and certainly no stretchmarks as she seemed to think she'd have.

She came to sit on the pier before him, tucking her legs under her as she dropped her weight to her right hip. "I still feel exposed," she said shyly. "Hey!"

Inuyasha reached down and scooped a handful of water up, flicking it at her. "You're here with me, so don't worry about it. Just the two of us…" A wild thought crossed his mind as Kagome wiped the water from her face, and he couldn't suppress the wicked grin. He braced his hands against the lip of the pier and pulled himself up from the water, letting his tail hang over the edge as he sat in front of Kagome.

"What's that look for?" she asked suspiciously. "Every time you look like that you're up to something."

"I'm not up to anything," he continued to grin, leaning forward. "I was only thinking that since we're alone…"

Kagome could taste the saltwater on his lips as Inuyasha cupped the back of her head, pulling her to him. He didn't hesitate to trace her bottom lip with his tongue, coaxing her to grant him access. She let out a sigh as the kiss deepened, forgetting about everything. She no longer cared if she was wearing a bikini for the first time since hitting puberty on a public beach where anyone could see her if they took a notion. All that mattered was that Inuyasha was here, with her. Every fear, every concern she'd had for years was white noise. Her hands were just coming up to brace herself against Inuyasha's shoulders when he'd pulled away, grinning even bigger.

In his left hand was her bright green bikini top.

"Inuyasha!" she shrieked, throwing her arms over her bared chest. "What are you doing?! Give that back!"

"Why? We _are _alone after all," he continued to grin, holding his arm out of reach. He'd seen her make an attempt with one arm to grab for it, but he wasn't having it. "I'm not wearing anything to cover my chest. See?"

"That's different!"

"How?" he challenged.

"B-because…" she blushed. "Humans…"

Inuyasha grunted, twirling the stringy garment in his hand. "I can't say I know from experience, but Sesshomaru's been to other realms on foreign relation business, and he's told us that there are _humans_ who don't treat nudity as something shameful."

Kagome looked away, chewing her lip. "That's a different culture –"

"So?" he cut her off. "You have nothing to be ashamed about, Ka-Go-Me. You're perfect in every way." And at the moment he thought she was adorable. The flush in her cheeks, the way she tried to cover herself, it made him want to pull her close…among other things. He swallowed thickly; this wasn't the time to think like that. Inuyasha scooted back from Kagome and held tight to her top. "You really want this? You're gonna have to come get it."

"Wait! Hey! Inuyasha!" she almost raised her arms to cover her face from the water splashing her until she remembered that her chest was exposed. Kagome wasn't mad at him for pinching her top; more that she was impressed he'd done it without her feeling anything. _'Then again he had me distracted,'_ she thought, pursing her lips. He'd gotten her to forget about everything with that kiss, including her ability to be worried about the dumbest things.

All so he could steal her top.

But that wasn't the only reason, was it? Inuyasha wasn't leering at her as he floated along the surface of the water. He looked…expectant. He _wanted_ her to come after him. To own up to what she looked like, to enjoy herself at the beach for once. He'd seen her waste years on the sidelines and decided that it was time to take control.

She huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "If that's how you want to be…" Kagome stood up, letting her arms drop to her sides. This time she kept her eyes trained on the merman watching her with a slack jawed expression as she jumped off the pier. She wasn't sure if that look was because she'd called his bluff or that he was that surprised she'd done so without much hesitation, but it was delightful to see him caught off guard for once.

Inuyasha had been on his back, but the moment Kagome stood up and he saw that determined look in her eyes, he righted himself. Sure he could outswim her easily, but he wasn't sure he wanted to if she started a chase. That expression was fiery, and he liked it. If he took off like a shot she'd wear herself out, and it would've ruined the fun of the day.

Kagome kicked her legs underneath her to stay afloat, pushing her wet hair out of her eyes. "Alright," she breathed, "give it back."

"I lost it."

"No you did not!" she squeaked, real panic in her eyes.

"No I didn't," he grinned, holding it up to show her. "Just go without it for a bit? There's no one to see us. Look, I'll set it on the pier –" with a calculated toss it landed in a wet plop on the wood. "See?"

Kagome frowned. "You cheated."

"Okay maybe a bit," he conceded, swimming close to her and wrapping an arm around her waist. "But you have to admit there's a freedom to this."

Inuyasha had pulled her flush against his chest, and while he whispered that he had her, she was trying not to think about the feeling of her bare skin pressed against his. Kagome felt him guide her arms around his neck, tilting backwards until he was floating along the water once again. He had a firm grip on her waist, so she tried to relax as her legs floated listlessly beside his tail. Her head was resting against his chest, feeling his heartbeat softly. It was incredibly calming, and before she could realize what she was saying, Kagome asked Inuyasha to let her float next to him. His arm still curved around the small of her back like an anchor, but she didn't mind.

"See what I mean?" he grinned, peeking at her from the corner of his eye. Kagome looked so peaceful, and the content smile on her lips made being sneaky worth it.

"You're right. This is wonderful, Inuyasha. Thank you."

"For what?"

"You gave me confidence. If I'd never have met you, I don't think I'd ever be floating in the sea topless." She snorted. "And certainly not with a merman at that."

He laughed. "You did it, Kagome. This is all you."

"You had a big part of it though," she said softly. "My friends from school have never been able to get through to me like you have. And I…I don't think I have the same faith in them like I do you. I trust you with my life, Inuyasha."

Knowing that she had that much trust in him was one thing, but to hear her say it in those words was something else. Inuyasha pulled her back to him before bringing them both to an upright position. He held tight to her as he leaned forward to catch her lips with his. He couldn't find the words to respond to her, because an "I love you" didn't sound like it was enough.

If he hadn't been prepared for her to say that, he sure as hell wasn't for what she said when he pulled away.

"It's time."

"Wh-what?" He swallowed. Had he heard her right? Surely he was just imagining things. That could not mean what he thought it meant.

"I mean, it's _time_." Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck again, pulling him forward so that his forehead rest against hers. "I don't want to wait anymore, Inuyasha. I want to be with you."

* * *

**A/N: **And with that...well you pretty much know what's coming next. The M-rated special _Beach Please_ will *hopefully* go up before the end of the month, for those of you interested. If not, no worries cause this story will remain with a T rating.

Also wanted to thank you guys that voted for this story in the latest IY Feudal Connection Awards! I'm still trying to wrap my head around that - because there were so many good nominations!


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